Extremes
by Commander Eggnog
Summary: My own version of the Games. This story follows a District Four Career Tribute as he enters the 97th annual Games. I tried to make it as similar as possible to book one of the actual trilogy. He's Jerr Schrode and he isn't well known. How will he make a name for himself? NOTE: Chapter 17 and Epilogue have been changed. If you've read them, you should go back and re-read. Sorry.
1. Chapter 1: Careeping

**Author's Note: Takes place in an alternate universe- (AU)... Any events from Catching Fire and Mocking jay did not exist, because in this reality Peeta ate the berries when Foxface did. Katniss still won the Games. The characters from the two books still exist, but many are not in this story. Some things that happened in the course of the books happened in the time lapse since the 74****th**** annual Games. This story will have some things that were only in the movie and only in the book. If you've experienced one but not the other, I recommend the other.**

_**Act 1: The Tributes**_

**Chapter 1: The Creeping**

"_I will not be forgotten. I will win..."_

Last night was especially long and restless. It was not because of strategy thinking, something I've been doing for as long as I can remember. It was because it was the night before my life would change forever; the night before I made a name for myself; the night before I volunteer as District Four Career Tribute in the 97th annual Hunger Games. From the Fishing District, I am Jerr Schrode, and I will not be forgotten. I am headed to greatness. I will win.

_Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death._ _The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. In punishment for the Uprising, each of the twelve Districts must provide one girl and one boy, called Tributes, to participate. The twenty-four tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could hold anything from a burning desert to a frozen wasteland. Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the death. The last Tribute standing wins. (Excerpt from The Hunger Games)_

I woke like any other day in the room provided for me by the Academy. Not much was in it. Just a bed only big enough for one, a small television on a stand at the foot, and dresser drawers underneath the bed. The room was only five feet by seven. I didn't ever need any space, as most of my day is spent out of here. I still keep a picture frame of myself with my girlfriend and district partner on the TV stand's edge.

As a Career Tribute, I've trained a good amount of my life for this. I live in the District Four Tribute Academy. I wake up here, I eat breakfast, throw spears- the closest thing to tridents the Capitol always provides-, run a few miles, lift weights, eat dinner, and go back to sleep. People look at us as if we are animals sometimes. As if we are crazy to want to go into the Arena. That is from the stereotype set by the arrogant Careers, the ones who think there is no possible way for them to lose simply because they are "all that". Sure, I do think the odds are tipped drastically in my favor, but they are not definite odds.

Sundays are the only free days given to us. We are allowed to do whatever for once. I always choose to visit my girlfriend. I know that there is not a good chance that I will come back for her, but we both know to make the most of what we have. As an orphan I was left in custody of the Academy. I entered sort of a new world, and at the time the only person I knew was my future girlfriend. Even back then, we grew ever closer on the Sundays. I eventually started to talk to my district partner, but then she was the only one from the Academy I felt okay around.

Living at the Academy was my choice. I was ten at the time. The 89th Games had just ended. I wanted to make a name for myself back in the day at age thirteen, and signed up. Five years later, I still only talk to Hannah and Freira- my district partner.

The system for volunteering at the Reaping is rather basic. We are strictly told to only volunteer when we are eighteen Because of this, only two people of the same age are trained for each Games. The Academy said that it needed to be like this for structure and function. In some other districts, they would volunteer before they turned eighteen and someone who wanted to volunteer would not be able to.

Panem has become slightly more prosperous since the last Quarter Quell. A Quarter Quell is a special type of Hunger Games that happens every twenty-five Games. Now Districts One through Four all have Careers. I study who I'll be going up against, and who will be in my Career Pack. Career Packs are the alliances formed between those from the districts who've trained their whole lives. There's usually two Career Packs now. District One has their Reaping very early, and all Reapings after start right as the last one finishes so the Capitol can see it all unfold in order.

Ladies always go first, and as I turn on the TV in my room District One's Reaping is already airing. A girl named Zen Lorenic had already volunteered. She was somewhat short for the district, was dark-skinned, and had black hair. What threat could she possibly be? Maybe she puts up an innocent front that's not true. A young boy was called, and instantly a Career Tribute volunteered from the back of the crowd. He was short too, but he definitely made up for it in muscle mass. He had lighter skin, and brown unkempt hair. Specter Michaels was his name. He's definitely going to be in my Pack. I wonder what the look on his face will be when he learns that I've deceived him.

District Two was next. A girl named Ashley Nuemic volunteered. She was quite tall, and had pure orange hair. Didn't look too special, so she'll only be in my pack if the next guy is good. A boy named Rellim Nadinski volunteered. He was midsized with somewhat short black hair gelled up and to the side. If he's going to be in my pack, he'll have to prove his worth. He looks pretty strong though. I'll leave that option open.

I could watch District Three's Reaping, but then I'd be late for my own. I got out of my night get-up and put on decent looking clothes so the cameras don't think I'm a schmuck. With that, I headed out of the Career Academy to the plaza in front of the Justice Building. The plaza was tightly packed with Peacekeepers, camera crews, parents, and their children; one of which I will be saving from certain death. The Reaping bowls are much bigger here than in past years because with Careers they know they have no risk to take with getting tesserae for extra entries anymore.

I walked up to the identification stations. The ordinary finger prick actually mattered this time around. I found my spot. The most recent District Four victor and my future mentor, Finnick Odair, was sitting on the stage in front of the Justice Building. He had copper hair along with tanned skin, some attributes to making him famous in the Capitol. Mostly it was his raw beauty. Even when he was fourteen, volunteering for the Games, the Capitol women swooned over him. As Career in the 65th Games, he was extremely skilled. He received a golden trident by parachute in his Games, and instantly the odds tipped in his favor. The trident may have been the most expensive thing to be given to Tribute by sponsors, and growing up in the Fishing District, Finnick knew well how to use it.

Also on the stage with Finnick were the mayor and the pampered woman from the Capitol who had a nearly useless job. All she does is call up the people who end up being replaced by volunteering Careers. I heard that she wasn't exactly a model helper and did something bad, so she doesn't even help us once we get to the Capitol. It'll probably just be Finnick and Annie coaching us.

Annie is his wife from Four, with black hair and dark green eyes, who doesn't talk much. If she does, it's to Finnick. She'll rarely talk to others, even with short answers twenty-seven years after her Games. This was all a result of going insane in the Arena, barely making it out. She was in the 70th Games, with Finnick as her mentor along with Mags. (Mags was a victor from a long time ago who died recently.) The memories of the Games still haunt Annie. After her district partner was decapitated with an ax, she went insane and hid herself. Later on, a dam in the Arena broke and water flooded it. She, being from Four, was a good swimmer and went the rest of the way a mindless, insane rogue. I hope I don't end up like that. She and Finnick have had two kids since their wedding- a boy who is seventeen, and a girl who is fifteen if I remember correctly. I don't see much of them because they stay in the Victors' Village with their parents. In the post-traumatic stressful state that she is in, Annie needs Finnick to help her mentor Tributes.

It's strange that we haven't had a single victor since Annie, twenty-seven years ago. Not one from Four has won the Games since then. I plan on breaking that streak.

The useless lady on stage cut my thoughts short. "Before we begin, we have a special film brought to you all the way from the Capitol!"

I had to endure watching this again. It was obviously not brought from the Capitol, they use it every year. I let my mind wander before it ended with "_This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future."_

"Now it is time to select one man and woman to represent District Four in the 97th annual Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first." She walked over to the Reaping bowl filled with names of the girls from this district. "Hannah Ruone." _That's my girlfriend's name, _I thought.

Before she even got to the clearing in the middle, the girl I have been training alongside was there. She raised her hand and said "I volunteer as Tribute" loud enough to be heard from the Justice Building. She then trotted her way to the stage.

"What is your name?" Mrs. Useless asked.

"Freira Fess." She's a great person. Much taller than the Careers from District One, her hair was bleach blonde, and it went midway down her back. If I didn't already have a girlfriend, it wouldn't be too difficult to get lost in her shimmering blue eyes.

"Thank you dear. Now for the boys." She went over to the other Reaping bowl and swished her hand around before diving into the bottom. After walking in very high heels to center stage, she announced, "Joe Culturra."

This was my cue. I looked over to see who he was, but ended up just walking to the middle clearing and saying "I volunteer as Tribute." loud enough for everyone to hear. I trotted up to the stage, and waited for Mrs. Useless to ask me what my name is.

"Hello there. What is your name?" She finally said.

"Jerold Schrodinger." I am used to people only using the first syllables of my name, but Jerold Schrodinger appears on my birth certificate- the same place that says I have copper hair and brown eyes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, give a round of applause for this year's District Four Tributes!" Why would anybody want to do that? Maybe they would in District Two, the most psychotic district. The crowd here stood silent. It was time for Freira and me to shake hands, so we did. Looking into her eyes with courage, the handshake was a firm reminder of our potential, and that both of us are very prepared for the Games. We trotted to the Justice Building's large double doors without need of Peacekeepers.

It was time for our last goodbyes. I had no family to leave behind. I'm an orphan. That's part of the reason why I am a Career. I did accept to be a part of this though. I only have friends who were future Careers from the Academy. They were good friends, but none came to say goodbye. I didn't care though.

I was in a room with nothing but a sofa in front of a moderately sized window for the goodbyes. My girlfriend Hannah entered as I sat on the sofa. Without a word from either of us she sat next to me and we got lost in each other's arms.

I've known her since I was ten. That's really when my life changed. I was an orphan that needed custody, and we met when I was given it at the Academy. The death of my parents was a stressful time for me, and she always did all she could for me. We could only see each other on Sundays, but I always went to her house then. Her parents didn't have a problem. As soon as I understood the exact person she was I fell in love with her. All she ever wanted to do was things for other people. I began to take my Tribute training seriously at the Academy, as by the time it all happened I was thirteen, and we had worked with weaponry for a year. The reason why I wanted to be in the Games was so that some poor, random kid didn't have to. I wanted to save someone's life in the process of risking my own. The Academy has always been strict on never giving our spot out. It was our duty to be in the Games, and although I did not like it, I knew training hard in the week was the only way I would ever get back to Hannah after the Games; the casket was not an option. Five years later, I still believe this, and I would not let anything stand in my way.

We were trapped in an embrace for a long time, and finally came a knock on the door indicating that the session is over. Hannah and I kissed each other goodbye. I told her, "Don't you dare have a boyfriend when I get back."

She let out a chuckle and playfully said, "Wouldn't dream of it."

Even though I wish it was a life's time, the whole scene lasted for only three minutes.

**Author's Note: This Chapter was named Careeping, did you get it? Career + Reaping = Careeping... Remember how Jerr described the Tributes from One and Two, it'll come in handy. If it gets to be a decent amount of time between any of the chapter uploads, just PM me or something.**


	2. Chapter 2: Locomotion

**Chapter 2: Locomotion**

_"So it's Two then. Happy Hunger Games..."_

The peacekeeper ushered me out of the door and to the back of the Justice Building. Freira followed right behind. Double doors not quite as large as the ones in the front opened up to the sight of a Capitol train. The peacekeepers led us in and continued walking through the train to the front. Freira and I looked back on our district. It'll be the last time one of us sees it. What I saw in the eyes of the district was pride, sorrow, longing for a better Panem, remorse, and regret. The pride stuck with me. I am worth something. Here, I'm not a chess piece.

The peacekeepers gripped our wrists and let us know that we have a train to catch. We turned to a sliding door and saw a buffet car. Many different foods on stands lined the walls of the train. The car was more spacious than I thought it would be. A table big enough for four was in one corner. Sitting at the table, facing away from us and towards a wall-mounted TV were Finnick and Annie. They were watching the District Six Reaping. From the Transportation District, Emma Rasp, a tall blonde girl was called. Nobody volunteered. Mitt Myra, a tall blonde boy was called. Nobody volunteered. Both looked maybe seventeen years old. Even though they aren't a Career District, I wouldn't count them out.

Finnick saw us, "Jerr, Freira, please, have a seat. Don't be obligated to stuff yourselves yet." He motioned us to sit across from him and Annie. I let Freira go before me, but that was where the chivalry stopped. If these Games were chivalrous, no girls would be in the Arena. We sat down.

"So, now what?" Freira inquired.

"Now, we discuss strategies." Finnick answered.

I weighed in on the conversation, "Because we can't go around with a golden trident like you did and massacre everything in our paths." Annie sighed.

Finnick chuckled. "I trust you both watched the first two Reapings?" We nodded. "Who were you thinking of allying with?"

Freira spoke first, "District Two. The redhead looks cunning."

"The guy isn't half bad either. What about Specter and Zen, from One?" I asked.

Finnick assessed the option, "You're allying with Two. Specter and Zen are from One and... no."

Freira said, "What about District Three? We didn't have time to watch them."

"Those people are never to be aligned with, never to be trusted." Annie closed her eyes and covered her ears with her hands, one of which left Finnick's hand to do so. She recalled the time her district partner's head came clean off with an ax throw done by a rival Career.

"So it's Two then. Happy Hunger Games." I said.

Annie rebounded from her seclusion and said something, "And may the odds be _ever in your favor_."

Did she really just talk? Let alone finish a sentence? We stared at her in disbelief. She wants to be in on this just as much as she wants to be in the conversation, and that's saying something. She's confident in us.

I deeply exhaled. "So that means that four arrogant people will be hunting us down. Great."

Freira weighed in again, "We'll just get them in the initial bloodbath at the cornucopia."

"Or deceive them, and make them think you can coexist with them, only making them an easier target." Finnick read my mind like a book with that statement. "You need to be ready for anything out there. A world of different opportunities is always hidden in the Arena. Tributes never see them though, and they get recycled into the next. Possibilities you may have seen while evaluating the past Games may reappear. Seneca, the Head Gamemaker, is not running out of ideas though, keep your options open."

We talked about what we would do and not do in different Arenas and situations. Freira and I ate from the different buffet tables set out. We mostly filled ourselves with sweets- cupcakes, cookies, and the like. After a long ride, like, a _long_ ride, the Capitol came into view. We must have been on the train for six hours. District Four is southeast of the Capitol, and the District Six transportation definitely cut a long walk short. That didn't make it a short ride though. We neared the station. About a thousand people were packed onto the platform to our right. Each of them were dressed in one gaudy color and pattern after the next. They were chanting different cries of hunger for the Hunger Games.

Finnick got my attention, and said "Don't let them get to your head. You're no more special to them than District Twelve, yet." He began to step out of the train by way of the vacant platform to the left, and I followed- after Freira, of course.

The long platform led to the Tribute Remake Center. Finnick continued talking on the way there. "Tonight you'll look like one of them. The Tribute Parade, pointless as it may be, is still tradition. Jerr, your stylist's name is Mandel. Freira, yours is Javi."

We entered the Remake Center. It was a rather large room with many large showers lining the walls, twenty-four to be exact. They must have been seven feet in both length and width The showers had walls around them that jets of water would come out of. In front of each shower, a large glass door stood. Six of the glass doors had lights covering the inside that one cannot see through. That means all eight Careers have arrived. A door was on the side of each shower, leading to what I assume to be more ways to turn us into animals. Two large double doors were at the other side of the room, with half of the beds on one side and on the other.

People from a far end of the room called for us, "Jerr and Freira, over here please!" And so it begins.

**You've already read this, now you have to do the mandatory reviewing!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Tribute Preparation

**Chapter 3: The Tribute Preparation**

_ "The suit inside mystified me..."_

As we got closer, I could tell that the man who called us over had bright orange hair. He wore a suit consisting of black pants and overcoat, with an orange dress shirt and a tie to match. Now only twenty feet from him I could see the whites, or oranges, of his eyes. He also had a name-tag that said "Narando Pronezzi". He's not Mandel. Where is Mandel?

Freira beat me to it, "Where are Mandel and Javi?"

"We are their assistants. They will be here when we think you are presentable. It is our job, Violet and mine," He motioned to a young woman who wore an array of purples. "to make you look like" he chuckled before saying the next part, "a normal human being. It is Mandel and Javi's job to make you look like a normal human being _from the Capitol_. We clean you, they give you the costume."

Violet got Freira's attention, "That being said, Freira, please come with me." The two headed into a door on the other side of a waxing bed.

Narando took his turn to talk, "Jerr, please go into those doors," he said as he pointed. "Finnick and Annie, you know where to go by now." As I turned my head around from the door I was about to open, I saw them leaving through the large double doors.

There was a tall stool in the center of the room. "Please have a seat." Tweezers, scissors and other things were on a small table in a corner. "I could make you literally squeaky clean, but there's no point to it. All that is required is clean skin, no arm hair, etc."

"What's the etc.?" I wanted to approve anything that changes the way I look.

"Don't worry, it's the small things. No split ends, styled hair, but I see you have that mostly taken care of." Narando said, "You should feel bad for Freira. Women are given higher standards in the Games. Javi might make her go stark naked to prep her."

"She won't deal with that. Even if she has to resort to biting and clawing, that will not go out right." I recounted the countless times she's had to do that in other situations, and laughed.

Narando played along. "At least body and facial hair we keep some of for the boys."

For about an hour, Narando worked on my prepping. He made me take of my shirt to rid me of body hair, and my lower legs were shaved as well.

"I thought you said we get to keep some of the body hair." I said.

"That was just in case something happens in the Arena. On the odd chance the cameras can see any hair, it should have been prevented. They go further with the procedure for females, just because the Capitol thinks that the only, only place hair acceptable on females is the top of their heads."

He then took me to the room with the glass door and switched all of the lights on so nobody could see through. He worked on getting a few years-worth of dirt out of my skin with hot water and hard scrubbing. There was a platform on one side I could sit up on with my legs out. I'm glad Narando trusted me enough to wash my own hair. It's not like the Capitol has a freaky system I've never seen before, it was just a dial you could pull out. After that, he met up with me to put blue powder over my face and certain parts of my upper body. He also sprayed my hair with something. I don't know with what. I haven't seen a mirror since before the Reaping.

When I got out of the prepping rooms, I noticed that all of the lights were on that were not before. The only ones that were off were the ones I presumed were for District One and the two male ones from Two and Three.

Narando was talking to a man holding a suitcase. With blue, wavy hair, the man looked to be in his thirties. He wore simple but fashionable black clothes, and had pale skin. He noticed me.

"Hello Jerr, I am Mandel. I see that Narando did a fine job. Please, follow me. The room behind the double doors is a Tribute Plaza, for lining up and letting the chariots go. You've probably been wondering that. For now, though, we need to get you into the costume." He led me into the room where I was plucked of body hair. Narando went into the room with the horse-drawn carriages.

Once we were in, he put the suitcase on the table and opened it. The suit inside mystified me. I shifted my gaze left and right, and the fabric seemed to move with it.

Mandel spoke again, "Are you ready to be turned into a holographic fish?"

**Author's Note: This was a very short chapter. It would have continued to the end of the Parade, but I decided the last line was good enough to be an ending.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Panem Parade

**Chapter 4: The Panem Parade**

_ "Don't focus on the weapons..."_

I jumped backwards in shock. The suit, of course, moved with it. "WHAT?"

Mandel laughed. "The suit is basically one that fits to your body and looks waves crashing around when you move your gaze at it. There are some spots that have protruding scales to add the fish element. Narando already did your hair color, the spray thing. The hair gelling was too intricate for him, he said." Mandel took out a salon-looking bottle from the bottom of the suitcase. He then laid the contour suit across the table. I wish there was a mirror in here to see what it looks like on me. I tried to find a way to put it on myself, but to no avail. Mandel showed that despite having the holographic element, it was still stretchy enough to fit into the neck. I stepped into it. Mandel took the salon bottle, which turned out to be gel, and put my hair in the desired fashion.

We stepped out of the room, and saw that no time was wasted with Freira. I almost put my past in District Four with Hannah behind me and took her in. She was chatting with Violet, someone who apparently shared a common outlook with her in accordance to fashion. Her blue self was almost too much. The contour suit showed her framework better than I've ever seen. _Did they put something underneath it to add to her bra size?_ Hell yes they did.

Freira and I had small talk in the Chariot Room. Things like the train, the Remake Center (and how much she had to go through) were mostly the topics, nothing big or meaningful. I would save that for a later date. Perhaps the night of the Games, when I know I won't be able to sleep. It may be the last night I get to talk to her. Who knows what will happen in the Arena? Instead, we had a fun chat. Maybe a playful punch to the forearm would be here or there. Laughs were not very uncommon.

Peacekeepers ushered us onto the horse-drawn chariots. Not a moment later, the doors in front opened up and District One's chariot started moving. Before I could see District Two start, our horses began to trot. As we passed through the doors, I made sure to do what Mandel told me earlier, "Be sure to turn left and right so the audience sees the waves." Freira beat me to it. I tried to time myself with her.

District Three was ahead of us. They wore contour suits that were all black with yellow lines running around in a pattern. I think the name of what they resembled is a microchip, something that makes the Electronic District possible. They attracted more attention to their faces than anything, seemingly trying to let us know they're the arrogant ones.

The chariots neared the front of the stadium-like building we're in. I got to see what the other Tributes were dressed in. District One, the Luxury District, adorned armor encrusted meticulously with valuable jewels. District Two, the Masonry District, wore some snazzy deep black outfit where the ends bent and went from black, to red, to orange, and then finally yellow. Their hair also resembled flames. District Six had suits on as well, and there were white lines literally running across their bodies in different patterns to show that they are from the Transportation District. District Five went for the intimidation factor by dressing in suits that made them look powerful. They were, after all, from the Power District. District Nine was dressed in a suit covered in shining grains to say that they are from the Grain District. Those were the only ones that caught my eye.

The young president let us know just how incredibly doomed we are by using simple words, "Welcome, welcome. Tributes, we welcome you. We solute your courage and your sacrifice. And we wish you, Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favor." he said. Those were the same damning words every year. When President Snow said it, it was a lot more intimidating, I hear. He has passed, though. Midway from the last Quarter Quell to the one in three years, his body could not keep up. Now we have President Fuentes, a remarkable man, who isn't nearly as sick and twisted as Snow was. He wore a fedora most of the time, and governed as if there was no dictatorship. One would think he could say the same message a better way. With that, the chariots exited to the side nearest them.

We were taken to the Tribute Building, where all twenty-four of us will reside for the next four days. Day One is almost over. Day Two will be training. Day Three will be the individual training in the morning, individual reviews after that, and individual interviews late night. We leave for the Arena in the morning of Day Four. That's how it's always been.

Freira and I are sent up to floor four. Finnick and Annie awaited us at the table that was already set for us. Avoxes were scattered around the somewhat open room ready to fit cater to our needs if need be. The room itself had multiple levels of its own. The dining table was on a raised platform by itself, and a room off to the side had an open space with a large couch that curved facing a large television. A balcony overlooked the busy Capitol streets.

"Welcome to Floor Four." Finnick announced from behind us.

Freira and I did not need to be told to eat. We haven't done so since stuffing ourselves with sweets on the train early this morning. There was lox, basically a form of smoked salmon, set out for us. Freira and I sat down. I almost disregarded Finnick and Annie sitting right in front of me. Salmon for the Fishing District, what a wise choice from the Capitol. I was in a daze.

Finnick brought me back to bitter reality, "I know it's tempting. It can wait. Tomorrow your training starts. Be sure to align with Two, but don't focus on the weapons." He slowed down on the last five words. I was confused, and so was Freira. We raised our eyebrows in near unison. "We're not the arrogant ones... I hope. Intimidation is not the standpoint you should take. They all know you're Careers, that's all they need to know. Kindle some fire. Camouflage things. Distinguish good plants from bad for now. Spear things when it's all that's left." Spears are the most common weapon of choice in District Four. Most families eat what they catch, and sell the rest. Harpoons, tridents, and spears are very commonplace back home.

I let out a loud, sarcastic exhale, as if Finnick punished me. And then a drowned out, "Fine..." Freira laughed, Annie chuckled, and Finnick exhaled just as deeply as I did. Everybody sighed and ate their salmon. It tasted much better than back home, yet I longed for the homemade ones- the safe and secure, friendly ones.

Not much else was said over dinner. We all retreated to bed, as it had been a long day. I tried to make this experience as familiar as possible, and stayed away from many of the luxuries. It wasn't difficult to fall asleep that night, but I was sure it would be later on.

**Author's Note: Think of their floor as Katniss's, I tried to make it seem the same as hers in the movie. I decided to not make their stylists live on their floor with them, but they will make a return later. The length of the chapters are much longer starting now, I promise. Usually it's one chapter for each day, beginning and ending with morning and night. This will change in the Arena.**


	5. Chapter 5: Tribute Training

**Chapter Five: Tribute Training**

_ "I don't bite, you know... I'm not an animal..."_

I woke up groggily from the long day that passed. I must have been awake for twenty hours, with not enough food scattered throughout. I couldn't manage to get out of bed, just from being overworked and underpaid yesterday. I decided to take a shower.

There was a bathroom connected to my room, and walking into it, I saw plenty of buttons and dials on one wall. This was nowhere near as simple as the shower at the Remake Center, where I turned into a fish.

Random button pressing was not going a good idea, so I started out with the largest dial. At least I was smart enough to know how to get the water going. The rest of the way was actually pretty easy. The buttons were tempting, and all of them seemed to make me smell like things from District Four.

After drying myself off, I went to the room and noticed on my bed the training clothes. A black polo lay with the number 4 knit into the fabric inside an orange square on the shoulders and behind the neck. Black running pants accompanied it. Plain black shoes awaited me at the door.

Now that I am fully awake, I realized how hungry I am. Walking out of the room, I noticed that the table was set with many different types of seafood. Things like shrimp, shellfish, and even crab were waiting for me. Freira was alone at the table, sitting with her back towards me. Finnick, Annie, and the stylists Mandel and Javi are probably still sleeping. That's odd; I thought I overslept last night. I probably did.

Freira turned her head towards me and spoke, "You are so in trouble." She sounded quite serious. I showcased a worried expression ear to ear on my face. She laughed, "No don't worry. You woke up really late. It's almost nine. And yes, for the Capitol's standards, that's late. Finnick and Annie are with the stylists talking about what we have to wear to the interviews two days from now. Now get your ass over here." She said sweetly, wearing the same clothing as me.

She always teased me like that. If there was one thing that was always there, it was the teasing by girls who thought they were supreme. She's not a bad person, though. The teasing was more reassuring than anything. She's practically the sister I've always yet never had. We understand each other, and I can take a joke.

I realized I was still next to my door. The food was calling out to my stomach.

I focused on the food. The Capitol was trying to soften us up before we got to the Arena, and it was working. The food was too enchanting to veer away from. I managed to fill myself up, and Freira waited at the table for the adults to return. Teasingly, I let a stray arm reach around her and land on her waist. "What the hell?" She shifted her chair to the right.

I could only help but laugh. She huffed and went over to watch TV on the couch. I reciprocated with a huff of my own and stayed at the table while watching the TV. They were recapitulating the Tribute Parade on TV; stopping at every chariot, saying who was on it, and how well the stylists did; nothing I haven't seen before. When it got to District Four, Freira instantly shut the TV off. "Great, that's how I'll be remembered. Why is it that anybody to come out of Four has to be a sex icon!" She exclaimed. The question needed no answer. She was clearly pissed about being used already by the Capitol. This would be the least of it though. The stylists are on our side.

I decided to lighten the mood the only way I could think. "Why thank you. I didn't know you felt that way about me." It worked. She knows how trustworthy we both are. The only person I would talk to the first few years at the Academy was her. She wasn't mad at me; instead she got off the couch and hugged me. I reminded her not to be pessimistic.

The moment before she hugged me, the elevator door opened and our mentors, Finnick and Annie stepped into the room. Their walking was interrupted by the sight of Freira and me hugging for the two seconds that it occurred in. Annie laughed. Finnick said, "I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"

"Oh, gosh..." I murmured. Freira and I clearly had some explaining to do.

"I don't need to sell star-crossed lovers, do I? Don't worry about it." Finnick added after chuckling once more. "You've got training down in the basement facility now. Don't show any skills until the end." Annie motioned us to the elevator door and left the two of us alone once again.

The elevator, spacious as ever, had somewhat of a regal look to it, and had only three buttons- ground level, floor Four, and the tribute training basement. Each district gets its own elevator. The ride only lasted perhaps ten seconds.

The elevator opened to a vast underground room that had stations lined up next to each other for different things such as spearing, archery, knife throwing, etc. to the left was an obstacle course with small traps. A long bench had Tributes sitting on it waiting for everyone to show up, each of them wearing the same thing. Above the bench was a booth, in which sat the many Gamemakers- most notably Seneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker with the flaming beard. On the wall where other Tributes' elevators did not occupy were small rooms the Tributes would sit in before being trained. With see-through mirrors on the insides of the doors to make sure they could not see through, these doors were numbered two to twelve, as District One did not have to wait. Peacekeepers lined the long wall.

District Two was among those on the bench, and there were some I have not yet seen before. I assumed they were outlying districts that wouldn't make it that far. Before I could try to align with Two, everyone was present and a dark-skinned woman addressed us.

"Welcome, Tributes. I am Atala. It is my job to be your training guide. There are several stations set up in a row with things like swords, knives, maces, etc. These are very important aspects of the Games, sure, but the reason you train before the Games is to be prepared for everything. Defending yourselves against attacks is important, but you may die of natural causes. Among those causes is infection, dehydration, and fluctuation of body temperature. Stations for those can be found over by the kindling station to the far right of this room. No fighting is allowed, that is what the Arena is for. Save it for then. Use the time wisely, you are given six hours. You are free to train."

Districts One and Three instantly bolted to the heavier weaponry. The people I assumed were from the outlying districts stayed at the benches with heads down low. I felt somewhat sorry for them being thrown into certain death. Now was my opportunity to align with District Two. Freira beat me to it. "Hello, Rellim and Ashley, right? I'm Freira and this is Jerr, my fellow from Four."

Rellim talked first, his voice was a bit deeper than I remembered. "Ah yes, Four. The Fishing District, right? Ashley and I saw your Reaping on the train."

Ashley spoke in a somewhat nasally voice, "I was quite impressed. We'd love to be in a Pack with you. I'd never bring myself to be with either One or Three after watching them."

I made sure to have input, "Of course, now what were you two thinking about starting with for training? We were told to work on survival skills first."

Rellim weighed in, "We'll surely align with you. I think Ashley and I would rather work on weapons though."

Freira made a compromise to the dilemma, "Let's all do our own things. It's a deal?" The three of us nodded.

Freira and I walked over to the far right of the long room, for we entered from the left. The Gamemaker booth above stretched all across the side wall. There was perhaps only ten of them in the booth, and it seemed to be maybe forty yards in length.

When Freira and I got to the flint station, it seemed like the people from the less threatening districts regarded us as beasts that needed to be stayed away from. This is why I don't like the arrogant Careers. They make it seem like every Career Tribute is like them. Four younger Tributes seemed to linger a bit away from the area, maybe twenty feet, and tried not to look at me. "I don't bite, you know. I know I'm a Career. You know I'm a Career. I'm not an animal. Feel free to work on whatever station you want to. Just because I am here doesn't mean you can't be." I motioned for them to get to where they may want to go. Freira, making a fire start right next to me, slapped my wrist. "What?" She smirked.

I got my fire to start relatively easily. I wondered if the time I spent working on it would be put to waste in some desert Arena where heat isn't necessarily optional. I may have spent too much time worrying about this. I went to the body heat maintenance station. It was mainly just one for knowledge. There were pictures of past Arenas, each a different landscape. One was of ruins, one a forest, one a desert, one a frozen field of snow, and one a swampy jungle. The attendant told us the average temperature in each, conditions, statistics, etc. I recognized that instantly transporting from one of the climates to another would be extreme, and difficult for the body to regulate. I did not go away from the station without learning something. The station seemed to be popular with the Tributes who wanted to be prepared.

Now the only thing I had left to do was the knotting station. I glanced over, and saw the various knots in pictures on the wall. I knew how to make all of them. I'm from Four, so that was prior knowledge.

So now what? I saw a station explaining various diseases, and one for camouflage. Camouflaging is easy. I chose to go to the diseases station instead. The attendant listed and explained diseases like hypothermia, dehydration, chemical exposure, fever, and various infections. I went over to Freira, realizing that there was nothing else to do but weapons.

"You done with everything yet?" I asked.

"No, I still haven't done knots yet."

"And then weapons are all that's left."

"I'm going over to knots. You make yourself comfy." Freira left to the knots.

I understood what she meant by that. I got comfy and sat around for the rest of the allotted time, trying to look as casual as possible so that other Tributes don't look at me like I'm an animal. Overall, it seemed to work. If I end up needing it, perhaps an alliance with a normal Tribute will be of mutual benefit.

Freira finished working on knots. I got up and began walking to the killing stations. Freira followed closely behind. I saw that Rellim and Ashley were doing a mock sword-fight under the supervision of the station attendant and a few Gamemakers. They seemed really into it, so I decided not to interrupt.

Instead I went to the spear station, and notified the attendant that I am from Four, and so I did not need assistance. There was a rack full of spears standing up to my right, and multiple humanoid targets at various distances in front of me with different numbers, one through ten, insides circles; the higher the number, the better the kill-shot. Every vital organ was numbered ten. Every spear I threw was above six. I managed to hit the heart on three different targets. Freira was somewhat impressed, as even though we know each other's skills very well, we never threw at humanoids. Sometimes Careers are overestimated.

After Freira and I had our fair share of knives and spears we were spent. Fifteen minutes remained. We knew we had to talk to Rellim and Ashley. After searching, we found them at the obstacle course of small, harmless traps to the left of where we came in. The alliance grew ever stronger. The time eventually ran out, and we were escorted to our elevators by the Peacekeepers lined on the wall.

The elevator seemed to be longer going up, but perhaps I was just tired and slow myself. The door opened to a banquet on the dinner table. Finnick and Annie were politely waiting for us in their own little world at the couch so we could eat together.

"Welcome back. I sense you were no less than perfect?" Finnick greeted us.

"Pretty damn close, Finnick." The hunger showed itself in my voice. Freira chuckled, as I was being my same old self.

"That's too bad." Finnick pouted; to which Annie smiled. We all sat down at the table and began eating the crab. I resent how the Capitol gives us food commonplace in our District. Even though we are comfortable eating it, it makes me feel somewhat stolen from Four and as if I was fed prison food.

Finnick resumed talking, "We have your outfits made for tomorrow night."

Somewhat cutting him off, I said, "Oh, that's right. Freira said that's why you were gone in the morning."

Finnick resumed, "Uh-huh. Jerr, you've got a classic black suit with holo waves on the sleeve cuffs, and tie. Freira, yours is a black dress with a pearl necklace that matches holo waves on the straps and skirt rim. The skirt goes down to the floor. It's a simple design. Doesn't reveal too much." he finished, knowing how much it must mean to her.

Freira shouted a "Thank you!" in response. Everybody laughed. She explained herself, "I don't want to be a _sex icon_."

"Nobody ever does..." Finnick reflected. "Did you get the alliance with Two?"

Freira jumped in, "Yes. That we did. As for One and Three- all they did the whole time was heavy weapons."

"That's all their kind ever do." Finnick commented. "They assume the role of top dog before they are given it. Let them do it. Go for medium weaponry and thrive on that. The deadliest weapon is the brain. Remember that with your deadly weapons."

"Yes sir." Freira and I said in unison, but I was the only one to salute him.

Finnick sighed and continued, "So back onto the subject of tomorrow. What angle are you going to try to pull with Caesar? You're gonna need an angle."

Freira beat me to it, "Definitely not sexy." We laughed once more. "Seriously though, I'm probably going to act natural so the audience knows what they'll get from me."

"Sure, keep it simple." Finnick judged, "And you, Jerr?"

"I'm going to act down-to-earth." I said, and Annie raised an eyebrow. "In other words be calm and act natural, maybe a bit confident and matter-of-fact. The reason being that I want the audience and the Tributes to not think I'm arrogant as hell. I don't like the stereotype, and I'm making sure they know I am not like that."

"Perfectly fine. May be a breath of fresh air for the Games." Finnick said, as I looked down at my plate, realizing it was void of food. My stomach instantly acted as if it was bloated.

"How much can I say about Training?" I asked.

"You want to use events in your interview?" He inquired of me.

"Yes, if the opportunity appears."

"Say what you would say to Caesar and I'll tell what you can't say."

"As I was training, some Tributes, standing a good distance away, would watch me as I heard them gossip; presumably about me. I could tell this because as I looked at them, they darted their heads away from me in fear as if I would transform into an animal and attack them."

"Wow. That should be fine. I don't think there are many restrictions to what you can say but you should probably only say that. Is that all that refers to training?"

"Yes." I rested back on the chair and addressed the others, "I am stuffed. What time is it now?"

Freira, facing a wall clock, said, "Almost seven."

"I'll be off to my room then." I said frankly.

They nodded. Freira said a "Goodnight." as implied; I would go to bed soon.

I did not bother thinking about strategies that night. I'd much rather relax and lay on the bed thinking of what I'll be returning to. The Victors' Village with Finnick, Annie, and their kids; My girlfriend, who I do not deserve but am extremely lucky to have, Hannah; and the waves washing gently on the shores in a rhythm I already miss clogged my mind and I slept peacefully, knowing that everything will have been worth it.

**Author's Note: I know, I know- it's not the same training room. I decided to give it my own layout. **


	6. Chapter 6: Individual Game

**Chapter Six: Individual Game**

**Author's Note: This will be the longest chapter so far. In it is the Gamemaker reviewing, Caesar Flickerman relaying the Tribute scores, and the interviewing with Caesar.**

_ "The Games are more complex than a number..."_

I woke up to a constant beeping noise, and realized that my clock's alarm went off. The second after I noticed, it shut off. _ Great, _I thought,_ the Capitol watches us even right now. _ Of course I woke up from an alarm; this is the most important preparation day, individual prep. Soon, we will go back to the training room to individually show off our skills to the Gamemakers. After, we see the scores given to us on our floors. Finally, we all talk with Caesar tonight in the individual interviews. The reason today exists is to show me off and get me sponsors. The reason today exists is to make me win the Games. Tomorrow, we are put into the Arena. As for right this minute, it's currently 11:00. I'm used to waking up at noon in the Academy back home.

I took a shower, careful to not touch the wrong buttons, put on random things from the drawers, and headed out to the main room.

I opened up the door to the scent of home in the form of seafood. Before I could get a glimpse of what it was, Finnick notified me, "You are needed downstairs."

"I'll take the _elevator_ to go down_stairs_. I need food first though... I can't spear on an empty stomach..." I realized what I just said. Before Finnick responded sarcastically, I made sure to let out an "I know, I know. I'm going."

As I entered the elevator, a noise came from behind me. It was Freira's door. I turned around and gestured her to come in. The ten second elevator ride was a silent one.

When the doors slid open to the training ground, Peacekeepers ushered Freira and I to our waiting room. On the wall above the door to go out was a row of eight red buttons used to tell how many people left until it is one's turn to go. A bit over a minute passed, and the first light turned green to signal that District One's Specter Michaels started his review. Not a word was said in the waiting room. Sighs of discontent and deep exhales were all there was. A half hour went by, and I felt sorrow for the outlying districts that had to wait much longer. Before I knew it, the seventh light turned green and a voice said "Freira Fess."

Freira slowly rose from her seat in the waiting room, and I grabbed her wrist before she opened the door, pulling her into a short hug. "Good luck" was all I could say.

I lay down in the waiting room for the rest of my time, for the majority of the room was a bench. Finally, five minutes passed and the next light on the wall turned green. The same voice came and said, "Jerold Schrodinger."

I opened the door and walked twenty feet out. I turned around to the long booth above me and the Gamemakers were directly above my waiting room. As they were all standing, Seneca Crane waved his hand towards the wide open room, indicating that I should begin.

I casually walked to the spearing station, just a bit to my right, and began to do my work. The humanoid targets were in the same places as usual, expanding from left to right, varying thirty to forty feet out. I took the first spear from the rack. The "delivery platform" I stood on was ten feet or so long. I took a few steps to gain control and momentum, releasing the spear to soon hit an area marked "9" on the torso of a target to my left.

I didn't want to look at the Gamemakers at any point during this. Careful to not show any signs of weakness- such as slouching, hands in pockets, letting out a big exhale, signs of boredom, etc.- that would be casual. Trying to look professional even through my body language, I grabbed the next spear, stepped onto the approach, and threw it more forcefully than ever into the heart of the next humanoid, one of the two places marked "10".

Single claps and hums of approval came from the Gamemaker booth above and behind me. I threw the remaining eight spears, and none of them scored below a seven. Three of them hit the ten, one of which was the head of a humanoid. Overall satisfied with my work, I turned around and walked towards their booth, saying "Thank you for taking the time to review me." once I got close, did a slight bow, and exited to my elevator.

Upon arrival back at floor Four, Annie and Finnick were cuddled up on the couch and Freira was at the table eating salmon. I wondered how the mentors' kids are doing back at home. They must pay special attention to the Games, as both of their parents are Victors. They're old enough to be responsible by themselves.

As I got seated, Finnick and Annie came over from the couch and sat down as well. Finnick started the conversation with "How did you both do?"

The rest of the conversation could be summed up by "I did well, Freira did well. Finnick is pleased with the results, and so is Annie."

Eventually the last Tribute finished his individual review. The TV turned green indicating a live feed. By this time we were done eating and discussing our thoughts of the other Tributes.

Finnick went over to the television, and turned it on. Instantly, Caesar Flickerman appeared on the screen with his fiery orange hair and spoke, "Today the Tributes were tested by the Gamemakers. Their final score is a rating in between one and twelve- the higher the number, the better suited him or she is for the Arena. From District One, Specter Michaels received a score of eleven." As Caesar said that, an image of Specter was on the screen next to him, and the number eleven floated onto the screen. This happened for all other Tributes. "Also District One, Zen Lorenic had a score of ten. From District Two, Rellim Nadinski had a score of ten. Ashley Nuemic with a score of nine."_ So those are the scores of my allies from Two,_ I thought. "From District Three, Dom Cavers received a score of nine. Amity Gallagi with a score of eleven." _ Great, my rival Pack has higher ratings than usual. Two elevens are rare. Now my District. _"From District Four, Jerold Schrodinger received a score of ten."

"Well deserved, well deserved." Finnick complimented.

Annie even said "Congratulations!", and I made sure she knew I acknowledged it.

Caesar resumed with the scores, "Also from District Four, Freira Fess with a score of ten."

We all congratulated Freira, and she too made sure that she acknowledged what Annie had to say.

Caesar resumed talking, and the only district that seemed to have an impact was Six. Mitt Myra had a score of nine, while Emma Rasp, his partner, had a nine as well. The rest of the districts got in between eights and sixes. A young girl from Twelve received a five. She was one of the extremely shy ones from the training day. I began to feel very sad for her, and decided that if I see her in the Games, I let her live and be in a trusting alliance. Maybe I'll do that with another low rated Tribute. This, of course, all depends on the situation. Her name, if I recall, was Elitza Holman.

Caesar finished his broadcast with "Those are the scores for the Tributes of the 97th annual Hunger Games. May the odds, whatever the number be, be ever in their favor. Tonight I will interview each Tribute. I am positive it is something you will not want to miss. Until next time, this is Caesar Flickerman."

The screen shut off with a click of the remote held by Finnick. He said, "You heard him. Tonight's the night of greatest importance. You know how it goes down. You only get three minutes. You'll need to do as much as possible to make the audience in your favor. I talked with Mandel and Javi, your stylists, and they'll have the outfits up here in an hour or so."

"I'm gonna go sleep." I responded.

"Really?" Freira asked. It was more of a rhetorical question, without need of an answer.

To that I said, "No not really, I just need to take a load off." I am not that tired, I do however feel the need to take a breather and let the stress out. So I went in my room, took my shoes off and found a comfortable way to lie down without going under the covers. I did eventually let sleep overrule me.

I woke up and noticed by the clock on a nightstand that it has been two hours since I last checked. Walking out the door, I noticed Mandel and Javi on the couch chatting with Freira the mentors. What I assumed to be our outfits were lying on the clean and cleared table, while wrapped in plastic as if they themselves were just cleaned. "Look who finally decided to show up." Mandel said as he turned his neck from the couch.

"I don't blame him" Freira said. "We've gotten up a lot earlier than usual here than back home."

Finnick did a semi-flinch, "Really? The Academy always woke me up at ten. I didn't think it'd change."

I chimed in, "You have been to the Academy maybe five times in the past five years. You didn't get all the details when you checked up on us. We woke up at noon every day and went to sleep at midnight every day. That's how it was for as long as I remember."

"Huh..." was all Finnick had to offer.

The rest of the time spent before the reviews, Freira spent time chatting with Javi about Capitol fashion and I decided to talk about my life in Four with Mandel. Finnick and Annie went into their own little world again. Eventually the time came and a Peacekeeper came up to our room and told us to get dressed. I went into my room to change after Mandel let me know the basics to wearing a suit. Luckily for me, the tie was already tied; Mandel knew that I wouldn't know how to do it myself.

I didn't think it would take as long as it did to simply get dressed. I walked out of my room when I was done and Freira was standing at the elevator with an overly bored look on her face. "Miss me?" I teased. She did look beautiful in her dress, I'll give her that. And it shows off only as much as she wants it to. She must be wearing high heels, even though it's unnoticeable under the rim of her dress.

"Not even the slightest, Jerr. Not even the slightest..."

We were taken out of the building we've been in for the past few days and transported by car to the back doors of the theater, where we will have our interviews with Caesar. Once we were in, the rest of the Tributes were already there in line by district number, a gap left for Freira and I. Televisions mounted the wall to my left, so I could see the Tributes going before me. The stage ahead was a giant rectangle of sorts in front of a crowd. Two pure white "moon chairs" were on the stage tilted towards each other while still facing the crowd, as I saw on the TV.

The goal of the interview is to be remembered and make an impact on the audience more than other Tributes in effort to gain them as a sponsor. The Tributes are all prepared for this, and most will be working an angle on why they're the best to root for. Cunning, beautiful, strong, lethal, likeable, and humorous are the most commonplace ones. Whichever angle someone uses, they usually take it to the extreme, to make their interview memorable. The districts of my enemy Pack, One and Three, will most likely show themselves as extremely lethal and cunning. That's all they care about. That's why they'll lose.

I heard the crowd beaming ahead of me along with Caesar. He went with orange hair this year, and pale skin to not look ridiculous. Caesar's microphone amplified his already loud speech, "Welcome, welcome! We've got a very special show for you all! One by one, we will bring all of the Tributes you saw these past few days to let you know more about them! They get three minutes each. To start us off, will she enlighten us tonight? Let's have a round of applause for Zen!"

The somewhat short, dark-skinned girl from one went onstage. She wore a flowing green dress that didn't seem to stop at the floor, and went about her interview showing a matter-of-fact perspective. An example would be, "as a matter of fact, you simply cannot win because the odds will never allow it." Caesar liked her, and the audience couldn't get enough either.

Caesar likes everybody, he has to. It's his job to make everyone look as good as they possibly can. If the Tributes stumbles, he picks them up; if they are nervous, he calms them down; if they are sad, he makes them feel better; he laughs at all their jokes, no matter how funny; and he is very sociable, making sure the Tribute looks as polished as he does. So it's no big deal what Caesar thinks, he was the same to Zen as he will be to Elitza, the hopeless and helpless little girl from Twelve. I wonder what angle she has to pull.

Caesar introduced the boy from One, "How haunting will this memory be? I doubt it will be at all. Give it up for Specter Michaels!" Specter looked as if he could cut me up easily, as the golden tuxedo he wore showed off his muscles, even though it was an outfit for very formal occasions. Of course, the outfit sparred with his ego and still lost. His angle was a cutthroat killer. His shortness and brown unkempt hair also did a part in making him difficult to forget.

Ashley Nuemic of Two was called up. She had a flowing white gown to show off her hair, almost as fiery as Caesar's. She played a very polite, sweet girl. She wanted to be seen as down-to-earth, but I couldn't help wondering if it was all just a ruse even though that's all I've seen her act.

Rellim Nadinski followed his partner, and also looked down-to-earth. When Freira and I act this way, people will think we copied off of Two. The Capitol is crazy anyway, I'll let them think what they want. Rellim wore a gray business suit to show he was from the masonry district.

Amity Gallagi, from District Three, stepped onto the stage next. She is a tall, thin blonde who's angle was sexy with a hint of diva. Her yellow gown matched her hair and was somewhat see-through, hugging her body tightly. She definitely made it work.

She was followed by her partner, Dom Cavers. He was also tall and skinny, and wore an average suit, overall trying to be relate-able. I know this was all an act. He's tightly knit with One, and Finnick said he was "up to his elbows in arrogance". I'm not going to disagree with Finnick. Dom told Caesar to call him by his last name. After all, I could see it catch on easily.

Caesar introduced Freira, "From District Four, everyone please welcome Freira Fess!"

She walked on stage in her black and blue gown, more elegant than I've ever seen her. Caesar was standing as she entered, and sat down with her. Caesar began the interview with, "How have the past few days here been different than your life back in District Four?"

Freira has to be positive to the Capitol here, so she smiles and laughs when she says, "Much more stressful. _Much_ more stressful." The crowd laughed along with her, and she continued, "But overall, I don't feel that far away from home. I've eaten seafood since I got her like any other day back home, it's been great. I tried to cherish it, almost wishing to stay here."

That definitely got the audience on her side. Caesar followed up with, "How sweet. People have assumed, I'm guessing, that you left a significant other back home?" I could understand why people would think that.

Freira made sense when she said, "Then, contrary to popular belief, I am not a romantic."

Caesar looked baffled, "Really?"

Freira explained herself, "I have never found myself to be a romantic person, even though Finnick is." She laughed and sighed along with Caesar, "But I'm not completely focused or indulged in training either, not stopping until everything is spic and span, absolutely perfectly crafted. I have trained, and I have skill. I won't brag about it."

"Well said, well said." Caesar commented. "How do you plan on winning these Games?"

That was a solid question, to which Freira gave a solid response, "If there is one thing that makes me win the Games, it is weaponry, but the one attribute that I have that is the reason I could win, it is making sure I am on top of every situation after analyzing it. I'll usually play it safe, not taking any giant risks. I am solid with the people who are solid with me. They know who they are."

Caesar closed the interview. "Indeed they do. Best of luck, Freira."

"Thank you." She politely responded.

"Ladies and gentleman, Freira Fess!" The crowd roared as she stepped off stage opposite where she entered.

It was my turn. I took a deep breath and waited for Caesar to announce me. He began, "Everyone welcome to the stage from District Four, Jerold Schrodinger!" and he waved his right hand to the sky. The crowd went berserk as I stepped onstage. Caesar indicated me to sit down on one of two white circle chairs, and did so with me. "Jerold-"

I interrupted, "Please, please Caesar call me Jerr."

"Jerr, your partner Freira said that she doesn't feel that far away from home. Do you miss any friends and family back home?"

I responded as best I could, "And miss the opportunity to be here with you, Caesar? I would never!" This sparked uproar from the audience. Continuing on a more serious note, I said, "I don't have a family..." Caesar's eyes narrowed, and a hush came from the crowd. "Yes, I am an orphan. The people I surround myself with act as close with me as a family can, so I don't miss out. I was left in the care of the Career Academy, believe it or not. I wasn't automatically listed as a future Tribute, though. It interested me, and I decided to sign up. I was ten at the time. Call me crazy."

"I'd never in a million years." Caesar assured me. "There have been approximately 200 Career Tributes in the history of the Games. What sets you apart from them?"

I took a deep breath, "That's a great question." I said. "There is a stereotype to us Careers. People think we are all bloodthirsty sometimes due to our training, as if we feel we _have_ to use it to its fullest- which we do have to do. What sets me apart from, let's say, 75 out of any 200 given Career Tributes is that I am not arrogant or bloodthirsty like the stereotype. This is what has aggravated me the past few days. Allow me to share a story from training. Stop me if you think I should. I was, well, training and Tributes from other districts would be talking presumably about me twenty feet away. If I looked towards them, they would dart their heads to the other direction as if I would kill them then and there like some sort of vicious animal guarding its territory." I paused for a breath. "Caesar, I cannot stress this enough. Just because I know how to kill does not mean I will do so every chance I get. I have the knowledge and the power, but I also have responsibility and control." I paused and said the next sentence slowly to allow it to sink in, "I am _human_." I shook my head at the thought of people thinking I am not.

Caesar was silent for a moment, taking it in. "Wow. I apologize for that thought." He said, "Eloquently said, Jerr. Now, concerning readiness for the Arena, The Gamemakers gave you a ten out of twelve. On a scale of one to twelve, how prepared do you think you are for the Arena?

"To be completely honest, I have no clue, I don't know anything about the Arena. If I could guess, I'd say a nine at most. Things are based off of more than what one would show the Gamemakers. The Games are more complex than a number."

I seemed to leave Caesar baffled again and he said, "Come on, don't shortchange yourself. One last question, let's make it quick. Freira said she isn't a romantic. I'm sure people think the opposite of you?" I tried to keep a straight face. I have a girlfriend. I succumbed to laughing and Caesar joined in with the crowd. "Really?" Caesar said in-between dying chuckles.

"I have never found myself to be a romantic, even though Finnick is." Hannah and I have a bond that is never to be broken, but I don't think myself as deserving to her sometimes, and it's not like the Capitol should know about my romance life anyway.

Caesar was extremely baffled, and struggled almost to come up with something to say, he sufficed with, "That is all the time we have. District Four's Jerr Schrodinger everybody!" after failing to come up with just the right response, something that's never happened before.

The audience applauded much louder than they did when I entered. I stepped off stage and turned a corner, seeing Finnick and Annie with Freira.

"So how'd you do?" Freira asked.

I knew this was a joke, as there are TVs in the room they waited for me in. So, as a joke, I responded, "Horrible. I was absolutely horrible. I held it better than Caesar though!" I got a high-five from Finnick and Annie when I said this. Freira did a wussy single-armed hug with me afterward. "You weren't too bad though." I told Freira.

"Why thanks. There was so much riding on that, I was nervous." She said thankfully with a small laugh on her face. It was my intention.

Finnick interrupted, "You were both great. We have to get back to floor Four quickly. District Five needs to use this room and we don't want to miss out on any interviews.

We headed back to our floor in the Tribute Building. The stylists stayed in the audience back at the interview theater, among all the others.

When we turned on the TV, Caesar was interviewing the girl from Six already. Emma Rasp, I remembered her named being. She was also a tall blonde, maybe even taller than Amity Gallagi, from Three. She went with a grounded, humorous and likeable approach, trying not to go too extreme. This is only an interview, and to her there are ways to be remembered other than acting cutthroat.

Mitt Myra came to stage next, and he was definitely going for the funny approach. Caesar laughed along with the audience the entire time. He had short brown hair gelled straight forward, and was maybe five inches shorter than Emma. He made an impact on me thanks to his review score. It was the highest of the non-Career districts, along with Emma's.

The rest of the district interviews were unimportant, and I only watched them to be able to identify the Tribute while in the Arena. All but one, I should say. Elitza Holman, the girl from Twelve was maybe five foot three inches tall. The dress she adorned made her look innocent, as if nothing bad had happened to her and was back in Twelve where she ought to be.

I felt as if I had to do something about it. Not necessarily start a revolution, which almost happened twenty-some years ago. It was "quelled" and nothing became of it after. It seemed as though nothing ever happened and Panem was back to normal- the same grueling normal. I felt as though I needed to make her get back home, in some instances and conditions I might sacrifice myself. No, I need to live.

After the interviews were done, it was about nine o' clock. Finnick made sure we got our rest. Tomorrow we will fly out to the Arena, wherever in Panem it is located. Knowing that though, I couldn't sleep, so I went out to the main room and found Freira on the couch thinking.

"Hey..." I made sure not to scare her.

She slowly turned her head my way, "Hey." And looked away. I walked to the couch and sat down closer to her than I ever have in recollection.

She didn't scoot away from me; instead she welcomed me with her head to my shoulder. Neither of us could say anything, no "I'm sorries" or anything. One of us has a dying day in a week or so. We knew everything going through the other's head. I tried to get something started, "Can I ask you anything?"

A strong "Anything." came from her.

"When we are in the Arena" I said, "can I wholeheartedly trust you to never harm me until we are the last ones left?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. You can expect the same from me."

"Thank you." A door squeak came from behind but was too subtle for me to care.

"You've always been the best I could ask for... No, better. If I didn't have Hannah, you'd be the most special person in my life."

"Thanks." The door shut.

I slept well that night.

** Author's Note: Long chapter was long. Your review must also be long!**


	7. Chapter 7: Transporting to the Arena

**Chapter Seven: Transporting to the Arena**

_ "There's always water to be had..."_

Knowing that today is potentially my last, I woke up to yet another alarm. I got showered, and noticed that upon going to my dresser for clothes, they were empty and clothes were laid out on my bed. A black long-sleeved shirt, black running pants, underwear, black socks, and white boots were all I had to put on, so I did.

When my door to go to the main room opened, Freira, Finnick, and Annie got up from the couch and headed toward the elevator. Freira was wearing the same clothes as I.

We all said goodbye to the Tribute Building, and entered a limousine to the airport on empty stomachs. Finnick gave us his last words of advice. We never interrupted when he said, "When you're starting the Games at the Cornucopia, make sure to never be five feet away _at most_ from District Two. Gather up as much as you can on your backs, and if One and Three claim the Cornucopia as their territory, which they probably will, get out of there and search for water. If it's a desert, they always have an oasis of water in that case. Forests and jungles have rivers, snowy Arenas have snow. Swamps are an exception, the waters are contaminated. There's always water to be had. Ration your food as if it needs to get you through the entire Games. You should get a lot in the backpacks from the Cornucopia, hunt for the rest of it. There's always food to be had. As for beforehand, you'll fly in a hovercraft to the Arena with the rest of the Tributes on board. Once you get to the outer edge, you'll go underground until you get below the Cornucopia. Your stylists will give you what is left of your outfits, and you go up through a tube to the Arena on your pedestal. You know what happens if you step off of your pedestal early." I cringed at the thought of getting blown up.

The limousine ride ended, and we arrived on the area of departure for the hovercraft. The back hatch was open, and Peacekeepers guided us to the inside, showing us where to sit. Two rows of twelve seats were lined up.

Eventually, all twenty-four Tributes were on board, and some made faces to others. I nodded to Rellim and Ashley, both sitting on the seats opposite me. They nodded back. The back hatch closed up. A woman came out from the door opposite the back hatch, and injected tracking devices into our arms. I almost rejected mine, and felt condemned when I saw it light up inside of me.

When the hovercraft landed, the back hatch opened, and I saw that a giant wall blocked all sight of what's inside the Arena. I had no clue what was beyond it. Twenty four doors were on the bottom of the barrier, on ground level. Peacekeepers ushered each Tribute to his or her own door. When I got to mine, a set of stairs instantly followed the door. A long pathway led to a room below the Cornucopia. This path must have been two miles long. It was a seemingly unending tunnel of despair. When I got to the end, the two Peacekeepers left me alone with Mandel.

"I'm sorry about this." He said, "I know you're a Career Tribute, but you must have regrets."

I sighed, "It's too late now. I don't care though, I'm confident in my abilities."

Mandel laughed, "Sure you are, Mr. Nine-out-of-twelve-at-most."

I laughed even harder than Mandel, "I was trying to be a humble, grounded, down-to-earth individual."

"I know. Here're the rest of your clothes." Mandel said as he walked to clothes hung on the wall. "I don't know why they gave you the boots back at floor Four. Take them off and put this on." He threw me thick, white snow-pants meant to keep me warm. They had hoops that one could use to wear a belt. I put them on. "Here" Now, I had to put on a thick, white winter jacket and gloves that matched. The jacket had no hood. The gloves provided warmth while not losing any grip. The black long-sleeve and pants that used to cover me have been covered. Now, I am dressed thickly all in white. I broke a sweat.

"Twenty seconds." an intercom said, coming from the direction of the tube that would take me up to the surface of the Arena.

"You can do this." Mandel said.

"Yes I can. Thank you for everything." I said, and stepped into the tube.

It didn't close until the timer stopped. When it stopped, I realized I was at the point of zero return. It seemed as if I wasn't doomed when I called out my name to volunteer or even when I volunteered to volunteer. My fate is decided in these next five minutes. The pedestal I stood on rose for twenty seconds before I could see the Arena landscape. I was in a forest. Everyone else was wearing the same exact thing as I. _We're in a forest._ I began to sweat harder. _Why do we need this gear?_

**I felt like this chapter needed to be its own small thing. I won't delay the suspense that obviously started at the end here. On that note, the Games have just begun! Please drop a review!**


	8. Chapter 8: Day One- The Bloodbath

_**Act Two: The Games**_

**Chapter Eight: Day One- The Bloodbath**

_ "The only spears... a dozen to be had..."_

Of the twenty-four pedestals on the front perimeter of the Cornucopia, I was on the eighth from the left. I looked around for Rellim, Ashley, the enemy Pack, and Freira. Freira was on the pedestal to my left. Rellim and Ashley stood on the fourth and fifth pedestals starting from the other end. All from the enemy Pack were past Freira to my left. Looking for spears and larger backpacks, they were located in the middle of it all, close to District Two. The only spears were located in a quiver, a dozen to be had.

I made hand gestures to Rellim and Ashley, mostly telling them that Freira and I will go to their side and pick up things before running off with them. I made sure Freira knew of this as well, only by word of mouth.

The very front of the Cornucopia was tightly packed with the heavy stuff. The swords, arrows, spears, everything I've gotten to know so well over the later years were in the mouth of the thing. Very heavy knives were on a wall inside it. Small things like canteens, ropes, and maybe a small knife or two were on the outer edge of the Cornucopia.

A counter was on the top rim of the Cornucopia. It slowly counted the seconds away from my life. As my safety dwindled I drew one last long, deep breath before the gun sounded.

At that very second, every Tribute bolted off of their pedestal. About half went into the safety of the forest around us to find some refuge. I made sure Freira was right behind me as I went along the outer rim of the supplies. Halfway to where Ashley was gathering supplies I willingly shoved a girl Tribute out of the way to keep going.

When we got to Ashley, Rellim ran off to the forest where we would eventually meet up again. She told us in a voice loud enough to hear, but not the other Pack to hear, "Get what you can carry and follow us! We'll be at the edge of the forest." She darted off as she finished her sentence. That's it for being five feet away from Two.

I looked to the other edge of the Cornucopia and saw Specter slice a Tribute that got too close to the pile he guarded. The Pack was facing away from me, so I went in for the four-and-a-half foot long quiver full of spears I saw not even a minute ago. Turning around, I grabbed a heavy backpack and flung it over my shoulders before darting off with Freira before we got to the part of the forest I saw Rellim go to. She was on the outer edge getting smaller necessities. I wouldn't ever try to engage the Pack yet- I'd be easy pickings. From what I saw I can recall only four Tributes dying from the bloodbath.

Once we got there and met up with Two, I turned around to see what the other Pack was doing. They were just guarding the remnants of the pile from everyone else, which were already scattered throughout the Arena. They simply collected what was left, and I made sure we wouldn't be seen when they were done.

The forest was dense, and it had its share of bushes here and there. "Let's get deeper into the forest." Rellim suggested. We all agreed and slowly walked through the Arena until we were sure the other Pack could not find us. We came upon a clearing.

"Alright. First things first," I said, "We need to look through our bags, see what's inside." They all agreed.

Everyone announced what they took out as they did so. Freira's smaller things amounted to some rope, small knives, and flint. Rellim had an enormous bag with larger rope, large canteens, and a white knit face-mask to match the heavy gear we already have on. It had holes for the eyes and mouth. _Peculiar_, He also carried a large knife back with him from the piles. I checked my pack and found a large, empty canteen alongside an average butcher's knife and some string. Something else seemed to weigh the pack down but I didn't know where to look for it. Nobody could tell it was there but me, so I saved it for later. My bag was a dark brown unlike theirs, and did not need to be camouflaged. Ashley had two loaves of bread; both were still warm.

Upon Ashley announcing the food, Freira told us all, "We're gonna have to ration that out. I'll use my knife to cut them into half." She made quick work of the cutting, "One for each. Make sure this lasts us as long as possible." She stated as she finished handing us our portions. We put them into our backpacks and Rellim distributed the canteens to the others.

The cannons eventually came. If a cannon sounds, a Tribute somewhere in the Arena died. They wait for the initial bloodbath to stop as well as any potential conflict to subside or end before they sound all the cannons thus far on the first day. Eight cannons fired. Half of them were probably from the bloodbath. Almost no action occurred compared to what would be expected back before the first Quarter Quell. Then again, more action occurred outside of the bloodbath than normal as well, but why?

For the remainder of day one, we stayed in our clearing while on guard for any potential threats. Before we knew it, the sun began to set. This spurred another conversation. After getting everyone else's attention Ashley said, "We're going to need a guard rotation for the nights."

"That's right", I chimed. "Only wake the others up if you are one hundred percent _sure_ that there is another Tribute that knows about us. I don't want to wake up for nothing." I made sure they knew about that. I'd truly be pissed if that happened.

Rellim added on, "When one gets tired, he or she'll wake the next up. Two per night should be fine."

Freira made a last detail clear, "If the guard _does_ spot a _threat_, he or she should make sure we wake up without waking the Arena up. Clear?"

"Yes" we each responded, not in unison, but still responded.

Ashley said one of her preferences, "We should sleep relatively close to each other so the guard only has to alert the sleeping ones once. One alert for all three to get up."

We all agreed to the terms and conditions, and as the night progressed we all ate small portions of our half loaves. Another cannon sounded out of nowhere. We made sure our weapons were near us, but nothing occurred. Two talked with each other for the rest, as did Freira and I. Soon it was ten o'clock. I could tell because that's when the anthem has always played in the night sky along with pictures of the fallen Tributes.

The four of us watched as the Capitol seal appeared with "THE FALLEN" written underneath it. The first face was a boy from District Five. All of us expected the other Pack alive, but pouted nonetheless. The girl from Seven followed along with the girl from Eight, both from Nine and Ten, the girl from Eleven, and the boy from Twelve. _Elitza is still alive, _I thought._ Let's keep it that way._

"Now that that's over," Freira spoke, "Who will stay up to guard tonight?"

"I will." Ashley volunteered.

"Okay, and who will be second?" Freira continued.

"I'll do it." I replied. Freira, Rellim, and I went to a dark corner of a bush where the light of the moon would not reveal us to someone who could possibly sneak up. Freira, female as she is, decided to cuddle with me for the night. I obliged, and tried to make it so that when it is my shift for guarding, she won't wake up when I move out of the way. I cleared my mind the same way we were taught to in the Academy so that we could sleep easily in the Arena. It worked.

**That's it for Day One. Please leave a review! Questions, comments, critiques, recommendations? No flames...**


	9. Chapter 9: Day Two- Pack Trek

**Chapter Nine: Day Two- Pack Trek**

_ "The second cannon of the day..."_

I woke to someone's hand on my forehead, and realized that Ashley was waking my for my guard shift. Everything was still dark. The light of the moon was barely enough to light up the forest through the dense trees.

"Sh..." I heard Ashley whisper. "Don't move yet. You'll wake up Freira." Remembering that she and I were cuddling, I looked down and saw she was still resting her head on my chest. "Here's my coat. It's not that cold out. Use it as her pillow so she doesn't know the difference when you move." The bulky white jackets did make good enough pillows when folded; I was surprised I didn't notice.

I folded Ashley's jacket and put it under Freira's head before getting up. She didn't know the difference. "Thank you." I asked Ashley, "Are you sure you don't need one? It makes a pretty good pillow. You need to sleep."

"No, I'm fine." I took my jacket off and gave it to her anyway. "Thanks."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I went over to my quiver of spears and took one out before putting the rest on my back. I sat on the dark side of a tree next to the others the entire time. The entire shift was silent. No animals were present. No owls hooted. The only movement was a single tear down my cheek as I watched Freira sleep- no longer in the protection of the cuddle during my sleep. I'd wake her up, but she needs hers.

Eventually the sun burst into the sky. The light was enough to almost wake up the Pack. What really woke them up was the sound of a cannon. Rellim instantly jumped to his feet. "What was that?" It seemed to be more of a worried statement than a question.

"A cannon." I said matter-of-factly. "We need to get on the move." I spoke as the girls quickly gathered their things. I took Ashley's jacket from Freira, and Ashley still had mine. "That's not gonna be us. We just need to get going. Get on the offensive." _Get something to eat, _I thought. I've been up for hours already. As we began to walk I took out the half loaf and bit a large portion out of it, my breakfast. I projected that it would last me one more day at the same rate of consumption; it's not enough to last the whole Games by a long shot.

We walked for a half hour before anything happened. Even then, wildlife was the only occurrence. Always wearing my spear quiver, I speared two squirrels I had the chance to for when we're out of the bread.

As the day progressed, we stumbled upon another clearing and I looked up. Although it camouflaged well with the tree, I could make out the hair of a Tribute behind a trunk. I was shocked to notice, as he was rather high up.

"Shush... Shush..." Two had confused looks on them. Freira simply paid attention to me. "Look." I pointed up to the tree with the Tribute. I whispered, "Someone's in that tree. Behind the trunk." We slowly circled it, waiting intensely to get our first kill. Rellim, eager as he became, activated his stealth mode and stepped back a few feet before throwing his large knife up to soon hit the male Tribute (who I could now recall as the one from Eight) directly in the middle of the forehead with force great enough to knock him out of the tree and hit head-first onto the ground. The second cannon of the day sounded off to a Tribute who never saw it coming. High-fives went to Rellim, and small cheers of accomplishment sounded off with the cannon. I couldn't help but feel bad for him though. I crouched at his body pretending to search him for anything useful, but really just gave myself time to sigh.

Time in the Arena went by with nothing eventful, and eventually things got livelier. Birds began to chime in. Nobody regarded them as anything, but I recognized them as jabberjays that were sent into the Arena remembering what other species sound like. Being things nobody other than myself knew about, I kept it a secret. I couldn't train them to say anything yet though; they were domesticated by the Capitol. When they were released into the wild, they didn't survive. I would need positive reinforcement training to get them to say what I want them to. They seemed to be only deep into the forest.

After a bit more trekking through the forest, we came upon the reason why we were dressed so heavily. A field of snow stretched out in front of us. Posts with obvious cameras were spread out somewhat densely through the arctic lands. Freira questioned it, "How do we know this is not the edge of the Arena?"

I knew the answer, "If it was, the Arena wouldn't be in the middle of the arctic. The Arena would be in an actual forest."

Rellim went back a bit, peeled a long strip of bark from a nearby tree, and threw it into the snow. It landed just as any other object would. "There. It's real. Should we go through it?"

This question stumped us. We were all unsure, and I put my hand to my chin, its elbow on my other arm. After a bit of thinking I shrugged and said, "We can. Our gear is heavy enough, and it can't be _that_ cold."

Ashley had input, and after throwing her hands in the air as if she meant to say "Why not?" she said, "let's do it."

We went through the barren lands, and quickly regretted it. As time passed it got colder and colder out. I began to sweat heavily all of the liquid still left in my system. Once it was far below freezing, a wall of snow knocked me over.

Looking up from the ground, I saw nothing. Visibility was reduced to zero in the freak blizzard. The combined factors of the blizzard, eight inches of snow under me, and weakness due to hunger made me nearly unable to get up. I thought I heard the calls of my Pack, who managed to stay together and mobile, but I could not respond. I felt it was meant to be. It _was_ what I signed up for. The most I could do was lie down. My body slowly froze up, slow enough as if to tease the life out of me. I thought _Okay, this is how I die_ before losing consciousness.

**Wow. What a short chapter. This is the point where it stops having one chapter per day. It won't begin and end with sleep any longer. Please drop a review!**


	10. Chapter 10: Block of Rock

**Chapter Ten: Block of Rock**

_ "Am I hallucinating? Damn, I hope I'm not."_

The blizzard stopped as I came out of a daze. I struggled to get up as I was on my back with the backpack and spear quiver still on me but buried in the snow_. So that's why the cameras in this field were so dense. The blizzard and visibility demanded of it._

My body was almost completely numb. I did my best to move my arms and legs, maybe to crawl. They didn't work. I ended up aimlessly snaking my way through the snow like a poor lost soul trying to find its way to its purpose. If I didn't have control of my shoulders, I may not have been able to move at all. _This is so fucked up. _I thought. _Now what do I do? I can't die here. The Pack is probably not searching for me._

There I went across the barren landscape. My arms and legs were so cold, it wouldn't be a problem for them to snap right off when bent the wrong way. At times I stayed as curled up as a one could get with only a head and torso to control as if it would help warm my hands up. In order to even get the hands wrapped in warmth I had to flail my body in such a way that the arms would end up cradled. Panem watched in pity; I let them.

As my body regained control I could use my knees. I knew it'd be a long time before I could walk again. After my body temperature dropped, it was a miracle the blizzard stopped before my body became cold beyond regulation.

I was too cold to eat any of the fresh snow, already hypothermic to some extent. I had no water to drink to help severe dehydration. The most I could eat to keep me alive was the dry bread I got from my Pack. It's almost completely finished. It'll barely get me through today. I took everything of it except for one bite. I tried to make some sense of my time left here. The forest is still behind me, but there was no water there. _"There's always water to be had."_ Finnick's words echoed in my head. I remembered that I also have a canteen- an empty one, but a canteen nonetheless.

I shifted my gaze to the distance, far left of me, and barely made out some sort of large stone thing resting atop a mound of sand. _So this place has a desert too, huh? If the desert and snow field connect as abruptly as the forest and snow field, and the desert has the temperature of a desert just as the snow field had a low temperature and the forest a moderate one, then there should be water from the snow melted by the heat of the desert. Warm water to get my body back into function. I could be hallucinating. Am I hallucinating? Damn, I hope I'm not. I'm thinking too straight to be hallucinating. If I was, why would I imagine that? I've never seen anything like it. A block of rock, that's all it is. But why is it over there? Let's find out._

The desert had a good amount of cameras in it too. They were all nine feet or so off the ground.On my trek of crawling to the desert, the temperature slowly began to rise. It was maybe thirty degrees by the time I could see a good amount of the mound of sand. When I could see all of it, I could also see the water from the collision of the two climates, extreme cold and extreme heat.

Water! Clean water! I crawled my way into it and swam the ten feet over to the side with the warm climate, and felt as if I was in a shallow sauna. Four feet deep, it had to be safe to drink, it's just melted snow on top of resting sand. I filled my canteen, and drank as much as I could straight from the source before feeling bloated on it. Maybe two gallons went down my throat.

I waited the remainder of the daylight to go to the block of rock, spear in hand, not wanting to deal with the warm weather. When sunset began, I took my leave.

Now I could walk. The temperature was not much as deserts can be rather cold at night, so I kept the winter gear on. It took me an uneventful hour of some sweat and tears to get the summit of the mound of sand. The anthem appeared in the sky along with the day's claim of fallen Tributes.

There were two dead today- the one who's cannon woke my Pack up, and the one Rellim hit out of a tree. They were the boys from Eight and Eleven. Thirteen remain- all from Districts One through Four, the girl from Five, both from Six, the boy from Seven, and Elitza, the girl from Twelve. _She should be dead by now. By what miracle is she still alive?_

Reaching the top of the mountain of sand, where the block of rock lies, I took out a spear from the quiver. The block of rock was truly a cube, made up of much smaller cubes of brown stone. I probably couldn't fit a piece of paper through the cracks. I found the door, or rather the opening, to the stone building and slowly turned my head into it. The entire room was pitch black, except for a spot in the middle with a table, maybe two feet in length and width. There was a perfectly carved square cut into the ceiling letting moonlight in. Something told me nobody was here but me.

On top of the table was a leaflet being held together by a sticker with the Seal of Panem on it. Eagerly, I tore the sticker off before unfolding the piece of paper, revealing a message written in printer ink. It read:

"_Congratulations, Tribute(s),_

_You are the first to make it to the stone structure on this end of the Arena. As reward, underneath this table are two bottles of water accompanied by ten bread rolls. Enjoy, and may the odds be ever in your favor..._

_ -The Gamemakers"_

I looked up to the sky and whispered a "Thank you." to the Gamemakers. It truly was just what I needed. My supply of bread was not going to last me any longer than tonight. I got on my knees, reached around in the darkness underneath the table, and found a tray fixed to the floor. The Gamemakers thought it could be used as a murder weapon or something. In reality, they probably had a mechanism under the tray that could lift the rolls into the Arena from an oven whenever a Tribute came near.

The ten rolls were still extremely warm. Dare I say they were fresh? I put them into my bag and ate what was left of my ration of bread from before. I then found the two water bottles, both ice cold. I knew there was a possibility of survival; a possibility existed in which I get back to my fellow Pack. Tomorrow, I'd do just that. I've got far too tired to do anything yet though, I've been up for almost eighteen hours not counting the time I spent frozen.

Wasn't there still something in my bag that I hadn't discovered yet? Something has weighed my bag down a good deal the entire time, but I haven't discovered it yet. I put the backpack on the table, and after fiddling and fondling around my bag, looking for a hidden zipper or Velcro of some sort, I found one twenty minutes later. Reaching in, I pulled out a plastic bag chock full of hope. The plastic bag held my multicolored victory, in the form of something I can't use yet.

Birdseed.

**Author's Note: Think of the plastic bag as the size bigger than a sandwich bag. Maybe a bit more than that.**


	11. Chapter 11: Acclimatized

**Chapter Eleven: Acclimatized**

_"I'm not going to lose to a Career, not even to some petty weather..."_

So where can I sleep without anybody noticing me should they decide to venture to the block of rock as I did? I shouldn't go out in the open; when daylight comes the hole in the ceiling will light the room up. _That's it,_ I thought. _The hole in the ceiling, I could go onto the roof. Nobody will see me because the building is resting atop a sand mountain._

I bent my knees and jumped, reaching as high as the arms of my six foot body could. Only the tips of my fingers made it, but I eventually made my entire hands, elbows, arms and chest get up to the roof of the building before sliding the rest on top.

I could see the entire Arena from up here! I'm sure the view would be much more magnificent if it was daytime. I could see all the way to the forest, maybe two miles away from where I'm at. The structure of the Arena seemed as follows: A circular forest with a snow field jetting out from opposite ends in the same direction. Eventually the snow field rounded off to the desert. The desert rounded off to nothing. The Cornucopia was on one edge of the rectangular Arena, while a snow field separated it from the block of rock in sand at the other end. I wonder if there's one of these on the opposite side of the Cornucopia, along with more snow and sand. The note from the Gamemakers did say "the stone structure on _this_ side of the Arena." That could mean that there's one on the other side, or that the Cornucopia is at the other end. Concerning sides, the most it looks like there could be is two.

It's a lot brighter at night in the desert and snow than it is in the forest. The reason for that is the trees being so goddamn dense. Putting my backpack and quiver away alongside my mind, keeping warm with the jacket and thus having no pillow, the last thought was that tomorrow should bring a reunion with Freira. Or at least I'll try for it.

I woke up to the tune of the scorching sun beating down on my frail body still clothed by winter gear. I didn't have any room anywhere to put my snow-pants, so I let them accompany the coat around my waist. After putting on my quiver and backpack and taking a spear out, I jumped down to the stone room ready to kill anyone there. Nobody. Still, nobody was there.

From here in the daylight I could see that the cameras in the snow grew denser as they got to the center of the field. I left the premises taking out a bread roll and my canteen- still full from the climate boundary. I was not conservative at all with the water in the canteen, and drank it all. The climate boundary was an hour away at absolute most if I walked. If I had pep in my step, which I plan on, I'd get there in the next half hour.

Trotting to a certain degree, I was knocked over again by conditions. Now they throw sand at me? How much do they want me dead? I thought they just saved my life and now this? I feel like I'm in a relationship with them. I tried to keep my eyes closed. There was no hood on the jacket, so my face got all of the damage. For the next… it felt like an hour… I crawled through the sand with my arms covering my face. It was too warm to have a jacket on, but I had to.

got to the climate boundary sweating buckets and needing more water. I tried to pant as least as possible. I'm not attracting attention until I get to Freira. I refilled my canteen and drank from the cold side of the boundary until I didn't know what drinking is. At this time, the sun was directly overhead.

Just as I dared to step into the snow I saw the blizzard come. _Don't even think about killing me. Don't even try it again. I'm not going to lose to a Career, not even to some petty weather. _I thought. I went onto my hands and knees before bracing myself against the "onslaught" that was snow. The snow wasn't going to damage me. I got up walked through the blizzard as if nothing was even happening. I'm bigger than this attack the Gamemakers clearly meant for me. _ Why did they activate it right when I showed up? What are they trying to do, to tell me? Are they just trying to tip the odds a bit out of my full-bellied favor? They can't do that with weather. They're fools for that._

Trekking through the snow took a half hour to do. I was always above the subzero, zero-vision situation. Even if they took away body fluid, they cannot take away my determination.

For the rest of the day, I wandered somewhat aimlessly through the forest, trying to find Freira and the others, but I found nobody. What I did find, though, was a squirrel that ended up dead, skinned, and in my backpack along with food and water. The birdseed I cannot use yet. The Jabberjays we found need to be trained. I could do that, but I can't train them to go to someone they've seen or never seen before.

Eventually came nightfall, and nobody's picture was in the sky because no cannons sounded off during daylight. Eventually came a clearing, and eventually I came upon Freira in the clearing, working the night guard shift.

She didn't notice me. I tried to get her attention without waking up Two, who I could see lying beside a bush using their jackets as pillows. "Hey. It's Jerr. It's _Jerr_." I whispered, trying to get her to lower the threat level she thought I had.

She noticed me right away, as if I didn't have to say who I was, and tiptoed her way over to me, hugging me once she could. "I know. I know. How did you survive? We got our water from the snow. You couldn't have any of that in the blizzard, right? For how long were you safe?" She asked the questions in hushes to my ear.

I whispered to her, still in the hug, "I should be dead. I was in some sort of coma for a bit until the blizzard died down. When I woke up, I couldn't feel anything and my skin could probably blend with the snow as much as the gear could. Did you know there's a desert opposite the snow from here? Well, I got my water from the heat of the desert combining with the snow."

She needed to know, "What about food? You must be starving?" She seemed to back away from the hug as she said, "I'll get you some..."

"Don't." I said as I pulled her back in. "I'm probably better off than you. I found this place out in the desert with a note from the Gamemakers. Don't be loud. They basically handed over ten rolls with two ice cold bottles of water."

"Whoa..."

"I know... I'm a lucky bastard. So glad to be back here." I said as a single tear flowed down my cheek. We didn't say anything, locked in somewhat of an embrace for quite a bit.

Then Rellim threw his knife into Freira's back.

**Author's Note: Keep the structure of the Arena in mind.**


	12. Chapter 12: Caught in a Fray-ra

**Chapter Twelve: Caught in a Fray-ra**

_ "Forever my Victor..."_

It barely missed my hand. When his large knife hit her, she just fell, her face to the ground, pushing me back a bit in the process. She wasn't dead yet though. It'd take a bit for her to bleed out.

I let out a shocked scream before taking the knife out of her back and dodging a thrown spear of Ashley's. _She took a spear last night?_ I took out one of my own and chased two with it and Rellim's knife in the other hand. Rellim dodged me with use of darkness and trees, Ashley remaining close to him at all times. Tree by tree I passed in pursuit of Freira's killers. They went on endlessly in one direction, and soon Ashley tripped on a root of a tree that jetted out of the ground the way a rainbow jets across the sky. I dove Rellim's knife right into her head. Her cannon sounded immediately. Rellim got a head start, getting a bit away. Running as fast as I could, I tried to get him within range of my spear. "Stay and fight like a man!" I shouted at him among other things, trying to persuade him into death. He just kept going. Before I could do anything, he got to the snow and vanished as a blizzard stopped me from killing him.

_NO! I have to get back to Freira... That was why they only went in one direction... Thank God they did. _I thought. I ran the exact opposite way, getting to the spot where a hovercraft picked up Ashley's lifeless body. Before it did, I took Rellim's large knife out of her skull.

When I got back to the clearing, there was a small pool of blood underneath her. Bending down to her, and picking her up by under her shoulders into my arms, her eyes fixed to mine, I could tell she was in a daze. I had so much to say, but so little bit of breath and thought to say it with. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Damn it." I could only say that. She looked at me intently, knowing it was her time to die.

_What do I say? Fuck! Words could not help me right now! _So I said the one thing that was on my mind the entire time we trained together in the good days, A quiet "I love you." was the last thing she ever heard. I kissed her. She needed to know how I felt. She needed to die a good death. She needed to be satisfied with her life. She needed me.

As I slowly ended the kiss, she could barely say, "Forever my Victor..." her death song. I felt her body getting gradually heavier. Her life was draining at a fast rate.

I said the last thing on my mind. "I've always loved you!" Her cannon fired in the distance. I bellowed the largest scream possible, and all wildlife fled from me. I continued to scream obscenities. I choked up, not knowing what to do or how to handle it. _She's dead! We both knew this would happen, but goddammit it shouldn't have been like this! Forever my Victor... That was something we agreed on before all this. That was our chosen dying words should it happen like this. WHY? Why did Rellim have to do that? Why did Two turn on me? Why! Fuck, I should have known! Two always generates arrogant Tributes! It was all a ruse! Even Finnick believed it! Even when they were so nice! Even when Ashley was thoughtful and nice enough to not wake Freira up when she woke me up for the guard shift! Even then, it was all just an act! Great! Now I have five Careers to kill! Now-_

The hovercraft came. I hid myself from the world out in the open next to a tree. I let the hovercraft come in and send a net down to pick Freira up. It was very loud with all of the systems keeping it afloat in the air.

When the hovercraft went to the distance and the noise died down... _Died down... Died down..._ My thought process was interrupted by the sound of beeping. One high pitched beep followed by two lower ones. This repeated with different times between beeps. Over and over again it happened until I had the guts to look up at where it came from, a tree.

_ A parachute! Finnick sent a parachute!_ I climbed up the tree to where it was draped, and jumped down. It was a silver cylinder that split in half at the top. A black ring around had the number 4 engraved. After jumping down from the tree and opening it up, there was a small strip of paper with writing. It said:

"_Here's your trident. Use it. -Finnick"_

Below the strip was a stack of things cut to have five by three inch dimensions._ Pictures!, _I realized. There was a picture of each remaining Tribute including me in order by District number... and Freira... and one of Finnick and Annie, and one of Hannah! Tears were not afraid to cascade from my eighteen-year-old brown eyes. It's too bad the Capitol women are crying over the thought of me having a girlfriend. _They probably wonder why I told them I am not a romantic._

If I wasn't sure what to think before, now my thought process went haywire. Realization of the other Tributes, grieving for Freira, memories with Hannah, and the purpose of being the Arena went to the forefront of my mind. One thing was for sure. I came in here with the will to die for my District.

And goddammit, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get back there for Hannah.


	13. Chapter 13: Going it Solo

**Chapter 13: Going it Solo**

_ "How would a bird react to knowing their location?"_

My entire Game shifted at that moment. Finnick gave me a trident of a gift. With the pictures bestowed upon me, and the birdseed I found in my bag, I could train the Jabberjays to find the others and report back to me, non-verbally of course. Maybe I could do it a different way. Go around and look for them, and use the jabberjays as a distraction. I could use the Jabberjays the same way Finnick used nets, as a trap.

_For now, though, I need to get the hell out of here. I screamed earlier. The only Pack left is after me. _I started off from the clearing, almost deciding to wave goodbye; it held so many memories I would never forget. _I'll never truly leave this clearing. _Physically, I did.

I took the plastic bag of birdseed out of the backpack, and held it open as I half-walked, half-jogged my way away from death. A jabberjay peeked out along the way, eager for its food.

After an hour passed, I decided to stop moving and let the jabberjay eat. When it had its filling, I said a very quiet, low hum and it repeated the hum in a way that sounded exactly like me. "Nice..." I commented. It repeated the word as well. I began to laugh. After I picked up the rather large bird by my favored arm, my left, I quoted myself from the train ride to the Capitol, "Now all I have to do is go around with the golden trident and massacre everything in my path."

It was far into the night when this happened. I took my place high up in the nearest tree. My back rested against the "trunk" while I lay with the backpack and quiver in front of my feet. Despite being high up, the branch was extremely large and stable. I ate another roll and drank half the canteen's fill. The jabberjay went to sleep opposite the quiver.

The anthem finally played. I knew the death toll and the dead, and I didn't want to be reminded of it, but I still watched. Ashley showed... Freira showed. The anthem stopped playing. The night went dark again. I fell asleep.

On the morning of the fourth day in the Arena, eleven remain. These Games are going slow; usually half are dead on day one. I blamed it partially on the Tributes, and also on the Capitol training. Perhaps the climate station was added this year. They did say that forest always contain wildlife in the Games. So then, only four died at the bloodbath. The reason five died otherwise was maybe the enemy Pack; or from having limited space in the forest, the rest being taken up by sand and snow.

When I awoke, I tried to get everything on my back before I began my descent. When I picked up the backpack, I noticed that the jabberjay was on it. They don't know how to make nests, _if_ it could make one overnight, anyway.

I ate another roll from my bag, and drank the rest of the canteen. I then had eight rolls left.

After the dozen spears and backpack were on my back, I took out the photos of remaining Tributes from my pocket and showed them to the jabberjay. I was not sure how to train it, but seeing if it knew their faces was a good start. I took out and opened the bag of birdseed to see if it would comply. _How would a bird react to knowing their location? By being jittery? I don't think it'd crow whenever it notices familiarities. _

When I got to the picture of the male from Seven, the only picture left before Elitza, it suddenly became a bit frantic. It hopped off of its place on the tree branch and crowed towards the male Tribute. "Wow..." I could only say. It flew down to level ground, as if eager to help me in searching for the guy. I climbed down the tree a good amount, and jumped the remaining seven feet to the forest floor. I guess the Capitol already trained them for this type of thing.

Once I was on the offensive with a trusty sidekick, I grew more courageous. We traveled a good mile in the direction it led me in, and I even found, speared, and bagged a squirrel in that time frame.

Eventually, the sun was directly overhead and I heard the sound of the Tribute. Sneakily, I searched for a place to hide while opening the bag of seeds for the bird as a congratulations prize. I tied the picture of me to the foot of the jabberjay with the string I still had from the bloodbath. I tied the string to the picture after cutting a small hole in it with Rellim's knife. The picture was identical to his frame. He had the same cherry blonde hair and freckles. He stood at five and a half feet tall or so, and carried a rather small backpack- the kind where strings go over your shoulders and you pull them outward close the top.

Hopefully, the jabberjay would comply when I wanted it to say a speech to the male Tribute. I whispered, "Hey. Tribute from Seven, don't be alarmed. A jabberjay is talking to you. I'm the guy from Four. I sent this jabberjay to propose something to you, and yes, I didn't have enough energy to do it myself. I have nobody left on my side, and even though I am a Career, I truly need someone to align with to get me further. I'm not doing very well. If you choose to align with me, please show the bird the picture attached to its foot. It's of me, and the bird will go in my direction. Please help, Jerr Schrodinger."

The jabberjay listened the whole time, and come my finish, it even flew over to the ground at the spot of the Tribute. He seemed to notice it. When the jabberjay recited my speech, I was almost as baffled as the boy from Seven. I quietly walked around an imaginary perimeter around him, and peeped from behind the darkness of a bush. I got a spear ready. He seemed to disagree with my proposal at first, but may have warmed up to it. He looked to see if anyone was around, but couldn't find me. He sent the jabberjay back to me more along the lines of wanting to see what would happen rather than to align with me. When it disappeared in the forest to a different place than where it came from, he was perplexed.

But he understood how I came out of the darkness from there and speared his chest.


	14. Chapter 14: It's Not a Numbers Game

**Chapter Fourteen: It's Not a Numbers Game**

_ "It would limit us... That's why I'm going to win this."_

My first kill was tallied as the cannon sounded. I went to my knees in front of his body, and stayed there wondering why things had to be that way. I gave up, and when searching his backpack I found it had a rope in it and something I don't recall seeing before in the history of the Games. It looked like two black cylinders connected to each other with a short black strap attached to and connecting both ends. The strap was meant to stretch while being durable. On the same side of each cylinder was something like a camera lens. On the other side of each of them was a smaller black cylinder coming out of the larger one.

These were pretty bulky. I didn't know what to make of them. I held them close to my eyes, turning them to see if anything looked suspicious. I realized then that the smaller portions of the cylinders were the same distance away from each other as my eyes are. When I held them up to my eyes, I was triumphant. When seeing through it, everything looked different. The forest was colored differently through these, and it doesn't let me see many details. One color of one thing blended to another thing of the same general color. The ground was dark blueish mostly, while the trees were green and their leaves were yellow.

The hovercraft came in for the Tribute's body, something red and white in the device's sight. My arm was also red to white. The only thing I could make of this was that I have a hot body temperature like the boy from Seven did, and the colors go to navy blue as they get colder in temperature. I called them thermal goggles. I didn't need to use them yet, so I put them in the backpack. The strap was able to hold the heavy goggles to my eyes and keep them there.

The only Pack left, I assumed from knowledge of every Games, is at the Cornucopia. There hasn't been much killing lately and they didn't try to kill anyone at the bloodbath. They probably just claimed it as their territory and decided to ride out the Games that way until they were in the top five with me, thinking their skills were truly too much for anyone else to handle.

Now, only ten are left. Everyone from Districts One, Three, and Six are here along with me Rellim; Alessia, the girl from Five; and Elitza, the young brunette from Twelve who only got a five in Tribute ratings. _Rellim is out somewhere alone. One and Three are the enemy Pack sitting in a bit of luxury at the Cornucopia. I haven't seen Alessia almost ever. District Six is probably with each other surviving who knows where. And then there's Elitza. How in hell is she still alive?_

I then realized that I still haven't shown the jabberjay Elitza's picture. I took the small stack out of my pocket and found hers. She actually had a smile in it. Everybody else had somewhat of one too, but she looked somewhat spirited at the time. I wondered what mess she could be in now. When I revealed her photo to the bird, it did nothing of indication. _I have to find her on my own... _ I put my backpack on, expecting a long search.

I heard a shriek of a little girl come from a tree behind me. Rustling leaves and a crash into a bush followed it as I took a spear out from my quiver and jolted to a stance while turning around. I didn't see anything, or hear anything, but I could sense anything. I saw the end of a bush jetting out from the back of a tree, and knew where my next kill was. Upon approaching the other end I raised my spear behind me and dropped it then and there when I noticed Elitza frozen atop the bush. It was a loud enough scream to attract minor attention, so I kept a spear out.

"Elitza," I started, "do you want to live?" I sensed her starting to cry. She had her jacket around her waist. She wasn't even developed much yet and looked like a kid thrown into a game of adults. Her body was a twig. "Then stay with me, and you'll stay alive." She wanted to hide herself. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so by now."

"No, you killed Sengor." I remembered his name from the interviewing as she said it.

"That was different." Was all I could say, it was true after all.

"How?" She now had the courage to turn and face me on the bush.

"He was a target. I'm sorry. Freira died and I went to the offensive. I could take control of the Games so I did. It's the underlying truth to these Games. We have to kill to survive. It was a necessity, but there's always the option to kill _with_ someone on your side. I don't have my Pack anymore. You saw two of them dead in the sky. District Two killed Freira, but I couldn't kill District Two. I was on my own. I wanted you to have a chance. I wanted to take control of the Games and give you a chance too."

"Well thanks, Jerr. I needed saving." She said ever so sarcastically.

"You got any food?"

"I _had _food."

I let out a small huff, "Here" I lent her a hand to get out of the bush. She accepted it after a few seconds of thought, "That bush doesn't look poisonous. No harm done." I knelt down and took off my backpack. Turning my head back, I saw Elitza standing there expectantly. I refocused my attention to the bag, and took out a roll. "Take it." I said as I extended my arm.

She then grabbed the roll as if it was something that could make her rich. "Thank you!"

"No problem. I have seven more of those and a squirrel. I probably won't eat the squirrel though." I said as I went deeper into the bag to get a water bottle. "It's not nearly as cold as it used to be, but here." I told her while my arm relayed a water bottle, yet unopened, to her.

"You didn't need to give me a whole bottle!" She said gratefully while proceeding to drink x amount of it.

"It's okay, I have another one." I bragged as I showed it to her.

"Where did you get these?" She inquired.

"I assume you know of the snow?"

"That's where we got water from, yes."

"Well, beyond all that is a desert. Freaky, I know. And there's a river of sorts from the heat of the desert and the snow combining. That's where the canteen water is from. The bottled water is from this place I found in the desert at the edge of the Arena. The Gamemakers gave me them with a note. That's also where the bread came from."

"Why are you doing all this for me?"

"Because you deserve it. What you don't deserve is to be in the Games. You didn't deserve the 'five'. I don't care about numbers. It's not a numbers game; they mean nothing to me. All they do is help people bet on my death."

"Thank you."

"You know, you remind me a lot of myself at a time when I was too young to play."

"Really...?"

"Yes. I assume anyway- feeling on the outs, not sure how to get through things. Being sent into something I wasn't comfortable with, even. Alone. But then, someone showed up. Someone took me in, gave me comfort. Someone showed me... me." I laughed at my next thought. "Look at me now. Surplus of food, providing well for more than myself."

"Why are you so different than the other Careers?" _Didn't Caesar ask me the same thing?_

"Overall, or just this year?"

"Overall."

"I tried to not let training change who I was. Life went on for me as if I was doing the training exercises like I would go out for a swim. I only took it seriously when someone was drowning."

"Your parents must have been _great_."

"They were. You remember I'm... an orphan, right?" She should be able to recall my interview with Caesar.

"Oh, right... Sorry." She really felt bad for forgetting that. It seemed as though she warmed up to me.

"It's alright. I'm totally past that. I made my friends my family. Well, the two that I had. One's dead now." She knew who I referred to. Elitza cringed, perhaps feeling pity to me. My pity of her is what made me inclined to align with her in the first place. "The other one... is my girlfriend. And she will forever be. Even past death, it won't do us part. She'll never want to have anybody but me."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent. We're at that stage where we know the other is loyal. We know they never will be questioning the other's love... We're too loyal to be loyal to anyone else."

"How did she feel about you being a Career?"

"Well, she knew it would limit us. It only limited our time though, that was all it would ever limit. We'd only see each other on Sundays after I signed up, and maybe up until I was eighteen and then never again. That's why I'm going to win this. You've got a pretty good shot too."

"You told Caesar you didn't have a romance going on. Did you regret it?"

_ Damn... Hannah is going to kill me if I don't say something smart. _"I wanted to enjoy the moment. I felt I could mimic what Freira said and have a laugh. And, don't get me wrong. My relationship is great. I wasn't trying to hide from anything."

"Sorry about this happening to you."

"What are you worried about? You shouldn't be worried about this. I have complete faith in her and myself. This isn't a tragedy for me. It's bad, sure, but I'm not surviving out here- I'm _thriving_ out here. The only thing standing in my way that I consider a threat is the Pack. You know, Districts One and Three."

"Right. So what are we going to do to get the numbers down to just them and us? You weren't planning on just riding it to the end, were you?"

"Nope, but that's what they're doing. They probably have all of their stuff guarded at the Cornucopia still. They'll threaten anyone that they see, but they're going to use skill and everything they guarded at the bloodbath to get to the end. As long as we're in the forest or beyond, I think we're fine."

"Why the spear still? Are you waiting?"

"To kill? Yes. You? No. You did scream, you know. Someone had to hear it. They may have not cared though. I'm worried about the Pack. They may be at the Cornucopia, they may not be."

"I am worried too, now that I know they exist."

"Well, I exist too. I'm not gonna let you die on my over-watch."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do."

Silence endured for a minute and Elitza broke it, "Jabberjays are magnificent, aren't they?" My jabberjay was still doing its own thing a couple yards away. They are very elegant creatures, mutts of the Capitol or not. It stood up perhaps two feet tall. Its wingspan was about five feet or more long.

"Oh, yes. He's a great one. The males always look better. You know, for attraction. We're good buddies. I give him food, he gives me odds." I took out the bag of birdseed from my backpack and showed it to her. "Had this since the start of the Games, didn't use it until yesterday." The bird instantly flew to the other side of me, almost knocking me over by surprise. "Fine.. You can have some." I opened up the reseal-able top so it could eat.

Nobody ever came. That didn't mean they wouldn't though. I kept my spear in hand the rest of the day, which I spent talking with Elitza. No cannons sounded.

"What's her name?" Elitza snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Your girlfriend, what's her name?"

"Oh. Hannah Ruone. She's the reason I've been able to say all I have to you. Other than my district partner, Freira, she was all I had before the Games."

"How'd you two meet?"

"Do you want the whole story or just the abridged version?"

"All of it."

"Why don't I just tell you _my whole_ story?"

"Go for it."

"Get comfy then."

_**-FLASHBACK-**_

"My parents were the best. They always tried to shield the Games from my young, unknowing eyes as a small only child, not wanting any corruption. They had a well-paying job, going out on a fishing vessel every day to catch crustaceans; you know- lobsters, crab and the like. Sometimes they went far out to sea, others they didn't. They had masterful apparatus with them at _all_ times. They always checked the forecasts before heading out with their crew.

One day, when I was ten, there was a power outage. Nobody could forecast storms, but they knew of the demand for their catches. They went out without warning of what was to come. They didn't go too far out, they weren't too close to shore either though. A massive storm hit us. The waves were choppier than I'd ever known. There were no survivors. I knew I would never know how anything happened.

I had no parents. Not many friends either, just people I saw here and there. I was a ten-year-old without a home. Some selfless parents of those who I barely knew offered me a roof and a bed to sleep in. It was a big ordeal to some. I was given a choice. The one place I was curious about gave me an offer, and I chose it. I'd live at the Tribute Academy for as long as I would want to. Legal documents were made, custody papers signed.

I didn't want to volunteer for these Games yet, though. I was simply curious, wanting to know what spectacle had gone on in our nation for the past 89 years at the time. The Tributes lived there too of course; they welcomed me. All of them were great people; they knew what they had, and worshiped it because they knew how long they would have it for.

My parents just died though. It took more than the acquaintances with a death clock to fill an empty void the absence of my parents created. That's when she showed up. Her blonde hair never dared to touch her shoulders. It never even came close. Her eyes had a blue color I never dared to pay attention to until then. The blue in her eyes was so special, the waves wouldn't dare to copy it. When we did meet, she only cared to know about me.

She'd always want to make me feel better, as she knew about all the fuss of the storm and my orphaning. That was the only story I had to tell at the time, but she made it such a great one to tell. Either that, or she just made it easier for me to tell. Over the next three years, we saw each other at least once a week. Her parents welcomed me even more than those who offered a home. Whether it was to go swimming or just stay at her place and watch same old TV, I never got bored.

I turned thirteen and decided to ask her out. We were practically dating already, so it wouldn't necessarily change anything. It more or less just made it official.

Soon, the ones who ran the Academy said I was welcome to sign up for the 97th Games, as no thirteen-year-old boy had already. I couldn't decide if or not I wanted to do it. I told them I'd think about it, and boy did I. I stayed in my room for the week following and Hannah wondered if something happened to me- I was gone for so long. We'd seen each other regularly and I broke that. The thought of going in so nobody else from my district would have to was wracking my brain. I wanted to be the one to save someone else. Surely someone else would come by to do the same, but I felt as though I needed to be a part of something. I wanted more than Four to know who I am, too.

But then what about Hannah? What about the one who I was sure I would be with? I knew we'd spend many happy years together, why limit them? The only answer I could come up with was to give myself a purpose, to work towards a goal. But I'd never be able to make her watch me die. I'm sure she's got tears in her eyes just having to see me on a screen.

Once I had made my mind about it, I called her. I still remember the choke in her voice then, as if something was seriously wrong. I asked her to come over, saying that something has come up I needed to sit down with her family to discuss. So I did. We were in the living room and I brought up the offer and why I accepted it. It was my final decision, and I knew in my heart it was the right one. By knowing our time together, we knew how much the other meant to us. We knew to cherish our time just as much as our love.

So I trained with my district partner, Freira, for the next five years. Daily, we speared, ran, jogged, ran again, lifted weights, and of course ate and slept. I warmed up to her easily. Besides Hannah, she was the only friend I'd have.

When it was finally my turn to volunteer, I didn't want to. I did though, the Academy made sure I knew I had to. It was the last I'd probably see of Hannah. She gets to watch me whenever she wants, though- something we couldn't do. I haven't seen her for over a week now, something that hasn't happened since I pondered training at the Academy. That's why I want to win. She's all I have left in my life.

Instead of staying with her I risked my life so that someone else wouldn't have to. Of course I regretted it at times, but others I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to find myself after losing myself to the storm that killed my parents. How much could I know about myself if I never did something like this? Often things are found in the most extreme of places. That's what this Arena is- extremes. In stakes, climates, and competition."

_**-END FLASHBACK-**_

"Of course, there's you, Elitza. Your five in the reviewing stage is why I wanted to align with you. You shouldn't have to be here, so I want to make the most out of your life." I finished my life's story with that.

"Sengor did too."

"How was he?" I still don't know much of him besides his reddish hair and abundance of freckles.

"Sengor was great. He tried to make the most of the Games. He didn't let the likelihood of his death change his attitude. He was optimistic. Fifteen years old."

"Sounds like a great guy. Better than me, maybe. Who's to judge that though?"

"Me I guess. I'm too tired to care though."

We stayed in that spot until night fell, and were reminded that I killed Sengor. Elitza and I ate another roll. There were only five left. We each drank a quarter of the water in our full bottles. The jabberjay fell asleep. I went to a dark corner to do the same, and Elitza followed. The backpack and spear quiver fell off my body so I could rest.

"Not up in a tree?" she questioned.

"There's no light to see us here anyway, why not here?"

"Fine." She said, "Do you mind? Would she mind?" as she cuddled with me.

"Not at all."

"Why is your name Jerold? You don't look like a Jerold."

"You would be the judge of that too..."

"Well sorry. Seriously though."

"It's an old, foreign name. Sometimes it's spelled with a 'G' and not a 'J'. It's meaning has to do with "ruling with spears" and, well, I'm from Four so..."

"Interesting..."


	15. Chapter 15: Refuge in Hell

**Chapter Fifteen: Refuge in Hell**

_ "Elitza was more precious of cargo than the jabberjay."_

I woke up with a start, freaked out a bit at seeing Elitza's face closer to mine than I remember. Close enough to question comfort, but it's not something I should think too much about. There are more important things to think about like the facts that there's ten people left and I have half as many rolls of bread.

When I tried to get up without waking Elitza, I failed.

I stood up and said, "Congrats, Sunshine, you've made it to the fifth day of the Games. You've outlasted someone who the Gamemakers said was twice as good as you. How does that make you feel?"

"Blessed..." Elitza said with the same higher-pitched voice as she slowly woke up. She got onto her feet and asked, "So what do we do?"

"Well," I started, "we can't just sit around and expect to do well. We need to get on an offensive. Never thought you'd do that, did you?"

"No... not really. I would have rather hid out with Sengor when he was still alive than gone around and killed."

"Did you think you had the ability to?"

"No. Eight of thirteen Tributes left were Careers. We didn't think we had a chance."

"And... now six of ten left are and one of them is on your side. If we can manage to stay away from the Pack made up of Districts One and Three, we should be fine. Then there's Rellim, the boy from Two; Alessia, the girl from Five; and then Mitt and Emma from Six. They're more likely to be in an alliance than anyone else."

"Are you sure we should? It just seems like a risk. It's better to be safe than sorry, and _dead_."

"I've taken too many risks already, yes, but playing it safe will eventually bring us Tributes. That _or_ the Gamemakers will force us to go somewhere. Judging by past Games, they'll either start a forest fire or make the forest a rain forest. Besides, don't you want to give them a good show? That's all they want."

She huffed. "Fine. You're doing all the work."

"I'd be glad to. You just be quiet when it goes down and you'll be fine. No falling out of any trees or anything."

"Oh, really? How many more rolls do you have?"

"Five... I'll get you another one." I went to my knees and unzipped the backpack, and got another roll from the top. I gave her it and got another out for myself. _Three left. I shouldn't have eaten two when I got them. There will only be one left tomorrow morning should things go okay._

I reorganized my bag yesterday to make sure the rolls didn't get any more squished. _They are actually rather cold now. The squirrel is a couple days old. I'll have Elitza eat it if she wants. I'm not one for eating squirrels. Duck, sure, but there are no ducks here. I wish there was some fish here. I'd live forever on fish._

"We going or what?"

"Oh, right. My apologies." She took me out of the dazes of looking into my backpack. I put it back on and put on the spear quiver as well. After going over to the ground where the jabberjay lay, I poked it and it woke up.

"Wait." I set my bag down again remembering that I need to feed the jabberjay. Elitza's expression perfectly modeled that of one who wished to say _"Really?"._ I took out the birdseed and the jabberjay almost knocked me over trying to get to it again. I let it feast and binge while I sat with Elitza just looking at it, jealous and hungry.

After time passed I took the plastic bag of birdseed away from the jabberjay and put it back in my bag. Snapping my fingers, I made sure it knew to follow us.

We spent an hour walking through the forest. I always had spear in hand and always looked for any signs of human existence. It wasn't until a massive torrential downpour hit in a fleeting instant that anything happened. Elitza screamed.

"Elitza! Stay close! Hold my hand if you need to!" She clung to my left hand quickly. "We need to get moving. I think the snow is this way!" I jolted left, but made sure to keep within her speed. "Things are gonna get muddy here. Disease likes to gather in wet places. Mosquitoes may come out to play too."

We bolted straight in my chosen direction for ten minutes, during this the jabberjay abandoned us. "Don't trip. Watch your step but keep up."

"I can't keep going like this!" Elitza said in-between large breaths after stopping. I was a few feet ahead and looked back.

"No problem." After putting my spear away, I went back to her and picked her up. "I'm not losing you." I said as I ran through the forest carrying her bridal style. _This is what five years of running on a daily basis prepared me for. _She probably weighed a hundred pounds, maybe less. It wasn't too difficult to keep her up.

Five more minutes passed, and even I nearly broke down. The water beating on me only weighed me down further. I was covered in a membrane of rain mixed with what sweat I had left to sweat. My breaths were larger than I could recall them ever being in training. Then came the thunder.

I heard multiple booms in quick succession. A second later, lightning illuminated the area from behind me, for most of what I could see was fogged by rain no matter how dense the forest is. Then, one to my left. Then, one from ahead knocked a tree down as I ran, almost able to crush me. I was still holding up Elitza, and what with the water weighing me down I went wayward from the tree, turning in order to keep going. A few more bolts came for fleeting moments.

I got to the edge of the forest. That was where the thunderstorm ended and a blizzard began.

Setting Elitza down, I managed to say, "Someone is in the blizzard. It activates whenever people go into the domain. If I could get us to the other side, to the desert, we could be warm. Enough to evaporate the rain maybe."

"Okay..."

"The thermal goggles aren't needed. What are the odds they are even in close range, let alone if they have a pair too. I'll carry you if you want... over the shoulder this time."

"Yes... Please..." I mustered the strength to lift her up. It was much more difficult than last time. "Thanks."

"Put your hood up. It's gonna be a long time before we get there- a half hour maybe. It'll feel like forever though. It's worth it." I said as we entered the blankness.

If it was difficult to squirm my way to the desert on day two, I had another thing coming. Merely trying to stay on my feet was difficult. There was no way I would let myself go to the ground, or even my knees. Elitza was more precious of cargo than the jabberjay. And then came the idea that when I go to my knees, I wouldn't be able to get off of them.

Time in the snow passed. We were maybe half the way through the snow when I said, "Elitza." between heavy breaths.

Seconds came and went, finally she responded, "Hm?" _She can't even let out a word._

"If I were to go to my knees." I coughed, then resumed with, "do you think you can crawl the rest of the way?"

"A bit. I'll try." She said.

I was overjoyed to hear that. My legs gave out in triumph, as I no longer had to stand on them. I gently let her down with myself. "I'll stay at pace with you. Go however fast you want."

She hoofed it rather fast for what I was expecting. Perhaps not needing to move for a while gathered some much needed energy. I kept up.

Soon came shortness of breath, the understatement that hasn't necessarily shown up until the time. "Elitza."

"What?" She asked, looking back at me.

"I'm gonna get out my water bottle. I doubt it's any good right now." I wiggled the backpack off my body and took out a water bottle from the top half of the backpack, something that did its best to keep the contents warm. It got to be rather full with the rope in it. I lifted my arm just enough to drink. Not much came out even though it was half full. "What?" I asked nobody. I shook the bottle to see if there was already much ice in the thing, and what did come out turned to ice before it hit the ground. "Shit, I knew it." I put the bottle away and motioned for Elitza to keep going.

Minute upon minute passed in the wasteland of blizzard-ing snow. It took its toll on both of us. Elitza collapsed just as a cannon went off. Sweet serendipity took over, and the blizzard stopped. _It must have a time limit._ I rushed over to see if she was okay and nudged her. Her face was red enough to look like she was burning. "Elitza!"

"Hm?"

I lit up inside, knowing it was not her death.

"Did you hear the cannon? I got worried!"

"I'm fine."

I managed a chuckle. "No you're not. The blizzard's gone, and the desert is right there!" I motioned with my head. Indeed, the desert is only twenty feet away from us. The blizzard shielded our hopes away with the sight of life gone- the life brought by the river (which has gotten much bigger than days two and three).

She made her way to it like some kind of monkey would, with arms doing as much work as the legs. "It shouldn't be very deep." I told her. Even though it was now twenty feet across itself, it was still four feet deep. It seemed as though the ground at this point was made of metal.

"It's warm on this side," She said from the opposite side. "like a hot bath! We never had these at home!"

"That's great. Make it quick. I'm glad you can live some luxury here, but we need to get going. Recharge. Get a drink. Fill your water bottle. Right now, the blizzard is recharging. It can happen again if we don't make it back to the forest in time."

"Okay. Good idea." She drank from the river as if it would be her last source until death.

I needed to recharge too. I drank from the source, filled up my canteen, let my water bottle melt and filled it again.

Once the water didn't feel warm to me, I got out. I waited for her on my knees, staring into the snow, when Elitza said, "Watch out!"

I jumped to my feet and shifted my gaze to the right and left. Mitt, the boy from Six was there to throw a knife at me. My jumping onto my feet made it miss. It landed much too far away from me. He had a backpack on him. I hadn't had a spear in hand since I picked Elitza up in the forest. Mitt ran to me and tackled me right when I got one out, sending it ten feet away as I lost my grip. Sending us both to the ground, he had both hands around me. His momentum knocked him further than me so his arms could barely reach me. I managed to pull myself out from under him, even though he was much bigger. He got up not a second after me and I swung a right cross to his face. After his flinching, that was met with me forcing my body into his legs. In the time that it would have taken him to get up from the blow I punched his jaw while on my knees, following it with several kicks to his head as I got up. He screamed his lungs out with each blow. When he was too disoriented and hurt, I stood on him with one foot on each elbow. I faced his head with his eyes staring directly at me. I drew in a deep breath, silently going about my kill.

"NO! NOOO!" He beamed while struggling to get out of the hold. His kicks were the only things I had to deal with when I took out a spear. I stood with both hands holding the spear as his bellowing screams were muffled by it entering his heart.

The second cannon of the day sounded off to a Tribute who definitely saw it coming.

"Whoa..." Was all Elitza could say, now standing only a few feet from the body with a spear still protruding it. I put it back into the quiver, blood at its tip.

"Yeah... I know. Even I have trouble handling these things. I've thought a few times since coming in here that I'm just not cut out for this. I may have the ability to still win, but I don't have the ability to shrug off killing somebody. It's difficult to stomach that I have to do it, but I'm not ashamed of doing it." I began searching him. He had a small knife and a canteen on him. Nothing more, just extra items. The canteen wasn't even full. It may have just been absent for its worth.

"You were really good at that." She said, examining my skills.

"Well... Of course. I'm not especially proud of that to be honest. But hey, I'm alive, right? At least it gives me that." It _is_ the one thing I'm not proud of.

"So now what?" Elitza puzzled.

"Now, I fill this up and we head back." As I spoke, a large sound was made. Something opened up. Looking at the river in the climate boundary, it was being drained. Sounds then came from the edges of the Arena- the blizzard machines. All of the water was drained, so I couldn't fill the canteen. "Let's go." I said as the Capitol hovercraft picked up Mitt.

"The machines are recharging now. We need to make it back quickly so they don't hit us for as long."

"Yes, let's then."

I walked so fast that one could call it running if it was done any faster. Elitza kept up, able to because of the river of life. Eventually I slowed down, knowing of her stamina. The blizzard didn't come the entire time we were out in the cold. Upon getting back to the forest, we stayed at the boundary the whole time waiting for nothing to keep happening.

Night fell, and both from District Six were in the sky, leaving eight to remain. The Pack of One and Three, me, Elitza, Alessia, and Rellim are it. A third of everyone who started is left. I'm going after Alessia and Rellim before I even think of the Pack.

As for the moment at hand, the number of rolls left went down to one and another dark corner housed us while we slept.

**Author's Note: The names of those in the Pack are Specter and Zen from One and Cavers and Amity from Three. I wanted to say this just so it doesn't seem like foreign knowledge when Jerr encounters them. **


	16. Chapter 16: Dwindling the Numbers

**Chapter Sixteen: Dwindling the Numbers**

**Author's Note: Sixteen are dead at the start of Chapter Sixteen!**

_ "I licked the head of the spear clean."_

Waking up, I had to wake Elitza in order to get off the ground. More cuddling occurred, and no, I wasn't ashamed to cuddle with a twelve year old- a girl who would be my age if she were to live half her life again. I got up, and she followed. It was day seven, a week into the ordeal.

"Eight are left, six are Careers, and one of them is on your side. What are your odds?"

"They'd be pretty good if four of the Careers weren't together." She had a point when she said that. Even I don't stand much of a chance against them.

"Well, the numbers need to dwindle so we can see how that goes."

"How are you planning to do that?"

I thought it wouldn't hurt to go back to an old way. "Maybe we can find a jabberjay. I've still got the birdseed and pictures of everyone left. The jabberjay will see the picture, and go to the location of the Tribute. Saves time and hassle. It's how I... you know."

"Right... Sounds good. It's effective for sure." She laughed a bit at the last part.

I opened the backpack up again. "In order to do that, though, we need a jabberjay. Stomachs with food in them would be nice too."

"How much bread is left?" By the time she said that, the one roll left was in her hand.

"That's it. There's a squirrel in here too. You don't want it though, right?"

"It'd be great!" She said in a voice that won't wake the Arena._ Oh, right. She's from the most poverty-struck district. _ _Something like this, they're okay with._

"We'd need to boil it though. I don't have anything for that. You don't want some crazy disease. They carry diseases just about as much as rats do."

"Oh, good point."

"You take the bread though. I can go without for now. That means we're gonna have to find a pot from someone or I starve by tomorrow."

"What are you waiting for then?"

"Nothing." I said as I took out the birdseed from my backpack and started walking. I took out the water bottle and drank about a third of it. Elitza did the same.

We walked in the Arena for a half hour before spotting a jabberjay. It came right to me. The birdseed worked its magic as I got out the pictures of Tributes. I discarded the newly dead ones, the ones from Four, and the ones from the Pack into my pocket leaving only Rellim and Alessia.

I pet the large bird to get its attention, and showed it Rellim's picture. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. I showed it Alessia's picture, and it became frantic. It moved slowly to the right of us in a direction away from the snow and yet away from the Cornucopia.

"Let's go." I told Elitza.

"Is this really how it works?"

"I was surprised myself when I found Sengor with it. Come on."

We followed the jabberjay at a fast walking pace for five minutes. It then stopped and squawked at us. "I think it means this is the last place it saw her." I told Elitza.

"So just look around?"

"If she hasn't moved in a while, she'd be cowering in a tree somewhere. Remember she's the one with bright red hair and she's got the same white or black clothes we have on." I took a good look at the trees for signs, but I had no luck. Elitza went somewhat distant in her search. I tried to keep an eye on her, but I wanted to make sure nothing would be at the trees near me.

When I thought of giving up Alessia showed up, and let her presence be known as she jumped from a tree and smashed Elitza's head into a different one with full force.

She shrieked in pain as I took out a spear and threw it directly into Alessia's upper back. I didn't want to risk missing her head. The spear didn't do much. It maybe made a good fracture in one of Alessia's ribs, but that's it. Elitza's cannon sounded. Alessia turned around to me, and noticed my body crashing into her upper body, sending her back into a nearby tree and stomach-down onto the forest floor. I stepped onto her elbows, spread out like Mitt's were when I killed him. Except this time I didn't instantly kill her. She had her head to the left, so I put my spear into the quiver and took out Elitza's picture before showing it to her.

She knew what I was trying to say, and begged, "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!" I dropped Elitza's picture onto the ground very slowly, letting the card go this way and that with its fall. I took a spear back out. "No! Don't do it! I'll do anything! Please!"

I laughed at this, and didn't struggle to drive a spear through her skull. The second cannon of the day sounded to a Tribute who didn't want to see it coming, but did. It didn't take much to get the thing out of her skull. When I did, I licked the head of the spear clean. The tears that I would have shed were dried up by the fire in my eyes.

"Where's the Pack?" I muttered under my breath to nobody, still standing hunched-over atop Alessia. "It is time for them to die."

Did something hit me? No... I looked behind me and saw a shining image of Hannah. I ignored all logic and reasoning to go and suffocate her in a hug. Unexpectedly, I continued going after her body would have stopped me and rammed into a tree, pushed by the inner machinations of my mind.

_What the fuck just happened? Well damn, I hallucinated. So that's how bad I'm doing right now. Great. Panem just saw me walk into a tree. "How delusional." They're all saying._

I took my bottled water back from Elitza before the hovercraft came. _What does Alessia have?_

Searching her, she had a small knife attached to the belt hoops of her snow-pants. I didn't notice her small backpack- one like the kind Sengor had, where the straps are strings that you pull to close the top. There was a sponsor parachute inside, and opening up the canister, I found that she had already eaten what was presumably soup. _Empty..._

The hovercraft came with a loud noise. Two nets were dropped from the same place and moved around meticulously to reach both of the dead. I gave it somewhat of a difficult time by throwing the lowered rope elsewhere when it almost got to Elitza.

Time passed in the space of the day's claim and thought occurred to me. _Normally when the numbers get this low (6) and it doesn't look like much will happen, the Gamemakers will lure those who are left together. Maybe a "feast at the Cornucopia", where things are set out for those who need them (if they can get to them). Maybe there will be a forest fire or something that lures me to them. This simply will not do. _"I don't want them to die just yet. There's just too much to do before any of _that_ happens." For a while, I let Panem wonder what the hell I had planned.


	17. Chapter 17: Endgame

_**Act Three: The Victor**_

**Chapter Seventeen: Endgame**

**Author's Note: Let's wrap this up. It's time for someone to win.**

_ "The deadliest weapon is the brain."_

What I needed to do for now was be on top of the Games, and make sure nothing unexpected happens. For good measure of things to come I dragged a finger through the earth, still muddy from the rain, and ran lines across my cheeks.

I recalled that the Cornucopia is in the only forest field this Arena seems to offer, to my left. After I abandoned the jabberjay on purpose, I walked there and kept a spear out. If the Pack was looking to guard their "belongings" at the Cornucopia bloodbath, they might still be there with the stuff. I was closer to the Cornucopia than I thought; it only took five minutes to get to the field.

Of course, I didn't go into the field; instead I stayed behind a bush where I could just barely see the front of the Cornucopia. There they were. The four of them. All still alive, and Rellim seems to have joined them. There was a large pile made, not nearly to the scale of the one made in the 74th annual Games, but a pile nonetheless. Nothing was stacked on top of anything. It was the Pack's pile, and they sat on it, talking with some having jackets around their waists and some having them elsewhere. Cavers from Two, and Zen and Specter from One sat and talked on one side while Rellim and Amity talked on the other. Their voices were too far away to hear. I wondered how long Rellim had been there. Zen had a bow and quiver of arrows with her, Specter held a sword, and Cavers held a bowie knife.

My eyes trailed with thought of how exactly I could kill all five of them. My work was made easier with a cannon.

I got up and looked at the Cornucopia once more. Rellim lay on the ground dead. Amity fought with Specter with words that I could hear but not decipher.

Cavers and Zen quelled the two who fought. The four began scavenging their pile and gathering what they needed to find me. Taking out the birdseed, I went away at a fast pace. I abandoned the one I had earlier because it might attract Tribute attention by repeating some words I may say. Heading off, I didn't see any jabberjays for a long time, but I made sure to head in a direction different than I came in. My goal was to find snow with jabberjays along the way.

I didn't, though, for almost a half hour. When I did, there were two chilling with each other. I snapped my fingers, and with their attention, they came to the outstretched bag. It was half empty when I gave it to them, and it would surely last me the rest of the Games. Two jabberjays just wasn't enough though, if it was to be a grand finale. Still, I sat with my legs folded and waited for the jabberjays to have their fill with the bag right in front of my legs.

I knew the Arena's scale somewhat well, so I stole the multicolored birdseed from the jabberjays and presumed the walk straight ahead would lead me to the snow in only five minutes at a decent pace. The large birds followed and I was right.

I learned something almost new to me since entering the Arena, I was damn hungry. I had a stomach ache from not eating jack shit since yesterday. _ Alessia had no food left, I have no food. I have no food. The Pack is doing well probably. Sponsor gifts are expensive as hell now that only five are left, (A piece of bread may cost five times as much now as it did at the start, purely because it increases odds drastically more now). I may not have food, but I have the willpower and the courage to salvage what else I do have and use it to the best expense. As Finnick said when we got back from training in the Tribute Center, "The deadliest weapon is the brain."_

While I was at the climate boundary, the edge of extremes; I took out the thermal goggles once more; put them on; and grabbed a jabberjay's legs, forcing it to go into the blizzard that activated upon entry. It got jittery and voiced its concern in semi-loud chirps. I felt for it, but not caring, I went deep enough to only see the heat of the jabberjay and my arm and let it fly back to the warmth. It had the same color as my bare arm did after I rolled up a sleeve, and I released it and it flew back, I registered how far away I could see another Tribute in the blizzard. It was the same color as my arm, so that should be just about right. I walked out of the blizzard and it shut off. I tried to remember the distance I could see through the snow from how far I could see to Elitza when she was alive. Before I went out of the blizzard I tied the rope from my backpack tightly from one camera pole to the next at ankle level. I could see it, a lighter blue next to the navy blue coldness of the snow.

"Well, I'm not getting any less hungry, so I should wrap these Games up quick. Two jabberjays will just have to do." I told Panem.

The two jabberjays were still there and I got the birdseed back out of the backpack, where I had left it when I took out the goggles. I climbed up a tree and left the birdseed there. I did the same do a different one close by. They flew up separately and began to eat. I picked up a rock from the forest floor and then climbed up another tree, close to the other ones and with a branch facing out to the snow and to the side where one could see the jabberjays feast. I took off the backpack and left it on the branch of the tree that jetted to the snow, not planning on using it for the rest of the Games.

I threw the rock at the trunk of the birds' trees to get their attention. I bellowed, "Cavers! Amity! Rellim! Specter! Zen! Anybody, HELP! AGH! Somebody save me! Whoever!" I screamed in some random pitches and lengths, included some obscenities, and the birds echoed it in unison. I hopped over to the branch that jetted to the snow. Yes, I knew that Rellim died, but the Pack didn't know I knew who died.

Ten minutes passed before the four of them came running to my area, not caring about being heard. I was careful at hiding, and put the thermal goggles at the ready just above my eyes. When it seemed that they were directly under the trees of the jabberjays, I heard Caver's voice say, "Look, up there. We've been tricked!"

_ They noticed the jabberjays, eh? _I then heard sounds of disapproval, to which I quietly hopped to the other branch, facing down to the Pack conveniently turned the other way. They held the same things as they did at the Cornucopia earlier today. I carefully threw a spear in the head of Amity, the blonde girl I didn't want to deal with as she got an eleven in Gamemaker reviews.

Cavers was the first to notice, and the others were a split second behind. Her cannon sounded quickly. Blood rushed from her head as I jumped down into a blizzard before they could notice me stuck in a tree.

I adjusted the goggles to my eyes as they bolted towards me. Everything was a deep navy blue. I backpedaled, stopped, took out a spear, and aimed as soon as I saw the first red thing. It was Cavers. The spear hit his neck and momentum carried his body ten feet before he lay dead.

Not a second later Specter and Zen ran to me, but they didn't have goggles, so I backed up looking for the light blue rope. I hopped over it and continued a good distance back. Specter and Zen suspected nothing and tripped hard, making an implant in the snow. I knocked out Zen in the time allotted. Specter was able to get up and ram into me before I could throw the next spear, sending us tumbling together against the rough traction of the snow. Zen's cannon sounded.

He got up before I did, hard hit from his knock, and ran to me. As I still had the thermal goggles on, I reacted by knocking into him at his legs. I pushed his very small but muscular frame up and he almost flew the length of his sword's flight. I took a spear out and was able to get it to his lower back, luckily able to with what energy I hadn't drained yet. I then kicked him over to his side and punched his face several times over. His screams were muffled by the winds that carried the snow. I said nothing. I just stayed there atop him on my knees punching his face as hard as I could.

Not suspecting it to go anywhere, I turned attention to repeatedly punching his throat. Punch after punch, as fast as I could I knocked at Specter. I had my elbows out to try and fend off his arms. He started kicking up as high as he could as a last effort. The blizzard raged on. With a solid kick to my neck, I lost my control over him and rose up with a few steps forward. He got up as fast as he could and knocked me down. On top of my waist, he forced, with punches, the thermal goggles into my face. They were thrown off of my eyes. Everything was so bright! My eyes had to see clearly the navy blue go to nothing but white (and the red face of my adversary). I tried to grab at his chest. Specter grabbed my hands. I was able to get my fingers intertwined so as to not let him have full control.

Both of us fighting for control of our limbs, I spat, "I really enjoy holding hands and all." I let him have a little control before rebounding with a knock to his face sending his chimp-sized frame skyward. He balanced on his feet before I rammed him into the nearest camera pole with everything I had left in me. Made of metal, it would do a good amount of damage compared to ramming into a tree despite being much smaller. Upon impact, we both fell to the ground.

Both of us faced up. The blizzard stopped. The final cannon of the 97th annual Games sounded, neither of us making a move.

How long was I immobile? It must have been a minute of nothingness for me. Yes, I just won the Games. As if I gave a fuck! Panem doesn't know, though. The only person in Panem I care about is the family of Hannah's. They were the only people I opened my eyes for.

If I thought I didn't have any calories to burn, I met my match when I tried to stand up. My footing was completely unbalanced and I coped with staying on my knees. Caesar Flickerman brought me back to reality when, over an invisible intercom, he said, "Ladies and gentleman, may I present the winner of the ninety-seventh annual Hunger Games, Jerold Schrodinger!"


	18. Chapter 18: Getting Back to Reality

**Chapter Eighteen: Getting Back to Reality**

_"I've been waiting!"_

Taken back to reality, I yelled, "Call me Jerr!" with the rest of the energy I felt like using, looking pissed to get a laugh out of whoever.

The hovercraft rushed its way to me, as I attained Victor status a few minutes ago. When it finally landed and the loud hum it sounded vanquished, I said, "Well, it sure took you long enough. I've been waiting!" while basking in the privileges of a Victor. When the Peacekeepers who were on their way for the dead Pack came out with stretchers, I asked if I could get on one of them too, pretending to hold utmost superiority. It was a cozy ride into the hovercraft.

The ride back to the Capitol was boring. They gave me nutrition supplements and got me back on track and... blah blah blah. I didn't pay any attention to words. Everything was just "Give me this, that, this, thanks, yes, thanks." and that was it. I was to be treated like royalty. Perhaps the nice lady was updating me on my schedule; perhaps she was trying to strike a conversation. I would never know or care.

I finally got back to the Capitol. When the back hatch of the hovercraft opened, two more hovercrafts were already in my line of sight. The same woman who I didn't listen to told me they were for the dead, one hovercraft per district. A Peacekeeper led me to a black limousine with the Capitol Seal on the side. I was chauffeured to the inside like royalty, and inside sat Finnick, Annie, and Mandel.

The seats of the limo were essentially a couch, where two could sit facing backward, two facing forward, and three to the right side. A bevy of soft drinks lined up neatly on shelves opposite the couch. Annie cheered just as much as Finnick or Mandel, if not more than them, when I entered the luxurious vehicle. Annie seemed... normal... as if there was never an ax to decapitate her partner's head in front of her eyes.

I had a good time relieving stress in the limousine. I laughed for the first time in over a week.

Amidst the conversation at hand as I got comfortable with the new Annie, she told me as if she's always been social, "All you have left here is the Victor Ceremony- exactly three hours long- and then President Fuentes will crown you at his palace. The Victor Ceremony will highlight you in pre-Arena events and then show all of the crucial points of the Game: the deaths, the alliances- day by day what happened of significance, where, when. Then Caesar asks you your motives behind here and there, _everywhere_. You know that already though. That'll be at eight o' clock. A limousine will take you to the palace afterward The crowning's always short and sweet. We'll be on the train going home right after and the next morning we'll be in Four." I responded with short acknowledgment phrases here and there to let her know I understood. "You are free until then."

When the limousine arrived in the actual densely populated, urban area of the Capitol, I was greeted with more Capitol people than I'd ever seen collectively through my life, all in one space. I walked past one gaudy creature after the next, Peacekeepers forming a line to guard me. Most of the creatures, of course, were women (waiting to get sexy times with me as some did with Finnick back in the day). Peacekeepers escorted me back to the Training Center and Floor Four, where I stayed while in custody of the Capitol.

When the regal elevator opened to the room that housed us for three nights, I wanted to bolt to my room, but Finnick held me back. Annie went into her and Finnick's room.

"Have you noticed anything different?" He said it as if it was impossible to miss.

"Annie? How could I not?"

"Sit down." He ordered and ushered me to the couch where we saw the training scores. "Thank you."

"For..." _For what?_

"You did that to her. Thank you."

"You're welcome." I laughed a bit thinking I was in trouble. "Care to explain?"

"When Freira died, Annie saw herself in you. She knew she had to do something about herself. Sure, she'll get flashbacks rarely and close up in fear, but as her husband, thank you for setting my wife free of the things that haunted her."

"You're welcome. I mean, it's the least I could do, right?" Life finally seemed to start turning back to normal.

"Right." He hugged me. I didn't question it. I went to sleep on a good note in my room.

That was all.


	19. Chapter 19: A Scene with Caesar

**Chapter Nineteen: A Scene with Caesar**

_ "We need more Victors."_

Lights, cameras, eyes, the whole ordeal were on me when I stepped on stage during the Victor Ceremony. Finnick and Annie told me to play the same angle I did when I last had time with Caesar- only this time I have sixty times the amount with him as last time. This time, I don't have anything to worry about. I don't need to put myself on the spot with rants that attract attention away from other Tributes although I'll probably do it anyway.

As I walk up this time to my white circle chair, the many different beams shine onto my bluish-green suit. Everywhere that would be black in a plain and formal suit was changed to the color of the seawater back in Four. It reflected just as well as the contour suit that made waves. I made sure this morning to put the picture of Hannah from the Games into my overcoat's pocket. Walking to center stage, I felt for it to make sure it was still there.

Caesar greeted me, "It's a pleasure to have you back."

The crowd of animals who were now satisfied of hunger from the Hunger Games still haven't quieted down when I would normally respond. When I was finally given the time to respond, I said jokingly, "It's a pleasure _to be_ back. It's a pleasure just to still _be_." Bits of chuckles came thanks to the tone I spoke the words with.

"Of course, of course." He continued, "Ladies and gentleman we have a very special show tonight. We'll get to see by what means Jerr-"

"Thank you! Finally. Jerr..." I interrupted, while my hands rose up together and broke away in a finesse that could create a rainbow. Doing so received a roar from the crowd before me.

"Right-" Caesar barely spoke before I interrupted once more, doing the same exact thing.

"It's got a lovely ring to it."

"Yes... By what means _Jerr _came here, conquered, and is now sitting here with me. The film will last the first two hours and we'll go from there. This year, some parts the audience hasn't seen yet. Without any further ado, let's take a look at Jerr's journey!"

Behind the both of us on stage, the wall of many pixels sectioned off some of the upper ones to show how I got here. A smaller panel was sectioned off of a live feed of my reaction to the film.

Small cuts of Reaping footage were shown. Freira volunteered. I volunteered. We shook hands and left to the Justice Building. We then sat in a group of four chairs with Finnick and a then mentally disturbed Annie on the train. We were greeted upon arrival with an array of colors (worn by the Capitol scumbags). It cut to the chariots and followed me all the way down. They showed an image of Floor Four. A bit of Atala's speech was edited in during footage of me at training- aligning with Two, working on kindling, going to the climate station, and the spearing. They didn't show me talking to four of the others (two of whom I know recognize as Elitza and Sengor). Freira got a decent amount of screen-time for what I recall of past Victor partners. She deserved it. The screen transitioned to the next day. It showed Specter's, Zen's, Cavers's, Becca's, and my Individual Review scores (11, 10, 9, 11, 10- respectively) as they floated by our faces. Then, aired my rant to Caesar in the interviews. Helping a brother out, they left out the part where I denied a love life.

A small pause occurred before it faded out and back in to my confusion over the snow white winter gear while looking at the forest behind me. The gun sounded and half the Tributes bolted to the forest. I went around the edge with Freira and the girl I pushed to keep going was Alessia. I hadn't enough time to care who she was when it happened. I got ballsy and took the spear quiver. When I ran into the forest, they reversed time and showed how only four people died at the Cornucopia. I didn't care for any of them as I watched. That day, the enemy Pack walked about the Arena and was responsible for four of the night's five deaths. As for the other death, Alessia killed the boy from Twelve. I laughed, realizing that she also killed the girl from Twelve. Nine cannons sounded in the background in sync with nine faces in the sky.

Then... Oh hell no. I saw bitter hatred on the screen I turned around to watch. During Ashley's guard shift the enemy Pack swung by and in a clear voice Specter asked if their plan was still on. All of Panem saw my reaction to that. I gave Caesar something else to ask me.

Once I got over that, it showed Ashley take a spear from me and lay it in the dark with the others and wake me up as soon as the enemy Pack was plenty out of earshot. To that, I banged my fists on my circular chair and rose out of my seat for under a second.

Then, I had an uneventful guard shift and the cannon that woke my Pack up sounded. Sengor killed the boy from Eleven. This was before he met up with Elitza. Then Rellim killed the boy from Eight. We found a jabberjay. We found snow and I was separated from them. My face completely red, the snow stopped. I then wiggled my way through the snow before using my hands and knees. I regained odds with clean water and a sauna to get my external body temperature up. I went to the block of rock and found food and water to last me for days. Oh, and fondled my backpack all over to find the birdseed. Lest I forget _that_ happened. Before I actually got to the stone building, the images of the two fallen appeared timed with cannons. The most important thing to occur was me eating two rolls that night, ignoring what Finnick said before it all happened, "Ration your food as if it needs to get you through the entire Games." Which it didn't. Had I eaten one, I could have been semi-satisfied of my stomach on the final day.

I went to sleep and woke up atop the structure. The venture back was unimportant. When I finally found Freira, they stopped with the short pulses of film and cut to the entire scene, words not edited out. Her scream upon the entry of Rellim's knife seemed a lot quieter from the new perspective. Yet I still found a way to close my eyes and put my elbows to my knees, face to my hands, hands tugging on hair. That wouldn't hide it from going on though, even though I thought it would. The audio was still there.

When I thought it was safe to watch, I opened my eyes just as I kissed Freira on the film.

Her dead self spoke, "Forever my Victor."

To which I rose up and yelled, "You're damn right I am!" before crashing back down into the white chair.

Did the audience have to go into fits of laughter from that? "Oh, I'm sorry," I said, once again out of my chair and onto a soap box facing them, "Was someone laughing? Didn't think so!" I crashed into my chair once more as a man would after a long day of work and sweat, legs making a 150 degree angle at the knees. I dragged my hands slowly down my face in effort to focus and relax.

Turns out, I missed the part where I hid in plain sight. That, or they didn't want to show the part where the winner coward-ed

Then came the game change, the pictures, the photos printed on three by five inch cards. At that point I searched for a jabberjay and went to my first kill with it the next morning. I gave my speech and Sengor almost denied it. He died, his cannon sounded, and I found the thermal goggles along with rope I used to trip the Pack. I still have it with me somewhere.

I found a laugh in Elitza falling out of the tree. She was being hostile, with good reason. She warmed up to me the more I spoke. I swear they didn't omit any of my life story. To hear something like that was refreshing, and the story hadn't stopped where I left off.

Then came the storm. We ran to the snow. I picked her up. Then, the lightning. We only dealt with it for a few minutes before entering the cold. We crawled and I was only able to see Elitza five feet ahead. That's where vision stopped. Eventually, I had to carry her through that too.

A cannon sounded, which I learned was Emma's. She died in the snow from not having any energy. We made it to the other side, Elitza got a turn in the boundary water, and she warned me of Mitt.

The entire scene was shown on the back wall. I had a feeling they made the time I stood atop Mitt longer than it really was. He kicked, screamed. My spear pierced his heart nonetheless. His cannon sounded as my spear entered him for an added effect.

Before I could have a go in the boundary river, it drained.

Hoping to not get any more blizzards, we went back to the forest sooner than later. It never came and we stayed at the forest edge for the rest of the day. Only District Six was in the sky that night.

Eight remained- both from One and Three, Rellim, me, Alessia, and Elitza.

We woke up and, after Elitza ate the last morsel of food I'd be willing to, we began searching for a jabberjay. It worked on Alessia, but she rammed Elitza's head into a tree before I could find her. Elitza's cannon went off right as her head was smashed in the film. I cringed. It reminded me of why I didn't kill Alessia the same way. _Revenge..._

I stood atop her the same way I did with Mitt, on her elbows (except this time she faced down). This kill, I showed her Elitza's picture (which the camera spent a good time focusing on) and then speared her skull.

At that moment I was ready to kill. It was too bad I was up against five highly skilled people my age. I took my time in thought, something they didn't omit. Suspecting they were at the Cornucopia, I went there after abandoning the jabberjay I used for Alessia.

When I got there and spoke to the Gamemakers, they only omitted the cuss I used when I found out they killed Rellim. A bit of humor was used when they censored the cuss with Rellim's cannon. Specter killed him, camera showing blood on his sword.

I went back to the snow and found two jabberjays along the way. The birdseed bag looked a lot more depleted than I realized. Seeing it full and empty within an hour is a better comparison than within a week.

Anyway, I took one of them into the snow with my thermal goggles on to measure how far I could see into the blizzard. Before I went back I tied a rope between the camera poles. Then, I put them up into the trees and found my own. I yelled for the Pack's "help" and it took them a good ten minutes to get to my location even when running as fast as they could. They noticed the trick. Becca's cannon was timed with the spear entering her head. I jumped into the blizzard with the thermal goggles on, making sure they noticed me. Cavers came first and I speared him easily. As I went further back, I went over the rope before One tripped on it. Zen died. They didn't speed up or slow down the time until I rammed Specter into a pole. I felt sorry for Hannah, having to wait a good minute to find out if I died or not.

It ended with a close up on my face (with the mud lines on the cheeks). Still on the film, Caesar said, "Ladies and gentleman, may I present the winner of the ninety-seventh annual Hunger Games," and my eyes opened right as he said, "Jerold Schrodinger!" It faded to black and the usual background took its place. They didn't show me act like royalty.

Our chairs turned away from the back screen and towards the vast crowd. Their applause was louder than anything I'd ever heard. I almost went deaf.

Caesar threw a bucket onto the applause already burning out when he spoke, "Thank you! Congratulations Jerr. Once again it's a pleasure to have you here."

"Thanks." I laughed along with saying the next sentence, "I tried to be the kind of guy where what you just said would not be a lie. I wanted to get onto everyone's good side, especially the districts that don't have Careers. Through the Games, I tried to be a man of the people. I didn't let the fact that Elitza's from Twelve get in the way of the alliance. What if… what if, Specter won. That would just suck, right? I mean, besides the fact that I'd be dead. Just the fact that somebody like him won would suck."

"Of course, who would want that?" His job is to go along with it and make me look good, not go into debate. Not like he would.

"District One. Not the district _that won_, though."

Bits of laughter came from the crowd; Caesar went along with it and started the interview. "Of course not. So, Jerr, what are your thoughts on this year's Arena?"

I didn't prepare for any questions he may ask, but they're not difficult ones. I replied with, "It was different, as all of them are. Creative, diverse." I listed. "Rather extreme as well."

"Extreme?" Perhaps Caesar wondered if it was the correct word for what I was going for.

"Yes, extreme. Three climates in one confined space. There were extremes such as the extreme cold and the extreme heat right next to it. Extreme hunger. There wasn't much extreme pain for me. Extreme emotion- God knows there was a hell lot of that for me. So yes, extreme."

"Nice insight. Now, at the Cornucopia in the beginning, do you wish you would have done anything differently? Was there something you'd change?"

"No. Not really. Not shoving Alessia or anything. I don't care if she was a girl, she was in my way in a life/death situation. I don't care who she is, I'm gonna shove her. Another thing from that moment in time- Finnick wanted me to never be less than five feet from Two until we got to the forest. Two abandoned us, so... That didn't happen. It was the least of my worries though. Something that haunted me was that the Games didn't begin at the sound of a gun. The Games began at the Reaping. What you show them and what they know of you greatly affects the events in the Arena. I didn't spend my entire training time in the Capitol on heavy weaponry. The ten was enough to convince them I was a Career."

"And then that night after nine were dead you had a night shift."

"Yes." I agreed, also indicating him to keep going.

"Did you at all suspect that Two had ties with the other Career alliance as we saw in the film?"

"No." I had trouble getting it out. "No, I didn't. I can see how it was possible though. There were times during training when Freira and I were completely separate from them, not knowing what they were doing. And of course they eventually turned on us and Rellim made his way to them as if they planned to be in an alliance. We kind of assumed we were going to be aligned with them. All it was during training was going up to them, agreeing to align with them, okay that's done and we went separate ways... during which they got ties with the others." I continued, "And believe me when I say that when he attacked Freira, Rellim did, that all emotions of Freira's death aside, I wanted to kill him. Simply because he betrayed the trust we had, he needed to die. That's not something you toy with in the Games. I wish Specter didn't kill him just so I could."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Caesar continued the interview, "The next day after Rellim killed Vernon, the boy from District Eight in the tree, you came upon the snow."

"Yes we did."

"After the initial blizzard, those blizzard machines were set to go off whenever someone entered the area. After it timed out, you were left there abandoned, stranded. What was going on in your head when you woke up?"

It was a funny situation, really, so I laughed when I said, "This is how I die. I was okay with it when the blizzard started."

"You were at peace, ready to die?"

"At peace? No. Ready to die? Yes. After it was over when I headed ever so slowly to the crazy stone structure I was _still_ somewhat okay with dying. That odd block of rock in the distance atop the mound of sand was my last anything. I saw that there was sand, so I figured it was a desert and had that type of climate. In that case, there would be water between sand and snow. I thought I was hallucinating or something, but that wasn't till later."

"We all remember that... The tree, correct? What were you hallucinating at that point? After Elitza died."

I didn't say a word. I paused for a few seconds, staring at the ground before reaching into my overcoat's pocket and taking out the one thing I brought with so the cameras could see it, Hannah's picture. The crowd let out cheers and "awws". "Who else but?" I commented. It went right back into my overcoat.

"Back to topic. You went to the stone structure and apparently were the first one there. What went through your mind when you found the food and water?"

"Well, I'm alive! Whoo-hoo." I said when I punched the air, not being very enthusiastic. The crowd loved my display of passion. "More importantly of what happened that night, I found birdseed."

"Yes you did." He agreed, and by his also indicating me to continue.

"I knew that the birds were jabberjays. I wasn't sure how I would be able to use them or what they were even there for. The birdseed cleared that up. I was confused when I used it on Sengor. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the pictures."

"Of course not. When you got back to the forest that night and you found Freira, care to say anything about that? I know it's difficult..."

"No." I took a long pause, during which Caesar could see that I was reliving it. "That night. I don't think people... understand it... but, I could feel, literally_ feel_ the life slowly slip away from her. I could almost _feel_ her spirit leave her body." My voice went from a small hush to a decibel used to reach the nosebleed seats during that explanation. There were hundreds of rows in this theater. "Next question."

"I understand... The next day, after you killed Sengor you found the thermal goggles and rope. Did you think you were going to use them for killing the others at the very end?"

"Oh heck no. I just knew at the time that I had to go into killing them with a plan and not just walk up expecting death. I thought, _What could I use this for?_, _and how will this help?_"

"And it worked." Caesar commented.

"And it worked." I repeated louder.

"Very well then. The _next_ day you went through the snow again to get to the warmth of the desert. It was the second time you tried to go there and the last. What did you think the shape of the Arena was?"

"I thought it was a circle of forest in the middle. And then on each half of the forest came a field of snow that was in the shape of a moon in-between the crescent and half phase. Opposite the snow on each side was a desert shaped like a crescent moon. Correct?"

"Exactly. And then you killed Mitt after Emma died in the snow from what almost killed you."

"Almost." I repeated.

"Almost." Caesar said as we went back and forth.

"Key word." I joked.

"But you didn't."

"Damn straight." I could keep this going.

"You saw the boundary drain and went back before it snowed, then waited for night at the forest boundary. Prior to that, you told Elitza that you wouldn't sit back and watch the Games go by, essentially. You stayed there though. My question is 'Why?'"

"Because I felt like it. I just got done killing somebody, I was cold, tired, and hungry. Screw what I said earlier. I needed to rest. Elitza didn't have a problem. I told her that we needed to move around in the first place because if you want something done, you need to do it yourself."

"The day _after that_ you used the same means of finding Sengor to find Alessia. Why didn't you use full force to kill Alessia then and there? Surely you could have done so."

"Caesar, I was just about to do just that when She rammed into Elitza. I let up at the last second right in front of the tree because" I made the rest of the sentence slower than before, just as I did with ramming into Alessia, "she needed to suffer. She needed to know she made a bad move. That's why I showed her Elitza's picture."

"One last question. You, a Career Tribute at the time, went up against four Career Tributes at once. What were your odds?"

I chuckled to his reference before responding, "I have no idea... You know what? Screw odds, I was practically killing myself by leading them to me like a cat to light. They weren't slim to none necessarily though. I was ready to finish it and they should have known better than to fight with a man who has everything to prove and nothing to lose."

"Thank you, thank you. That is all I have for tonight. Is there anything you have to say?"

"Why, yes. One last thing. I apologize to anyone for that one last minute of suspense after the final cannon."

"There are still a few minutes left." Caesar assessed. "Care to share anything else? Perhaps words of wisdom?"

"Words of wisdom? Nah." I replied. "But from my years in training, I always wanted to be the one to break the losing streak we had, District Four. It's been twenty-seven years since our last Victor, Annie Cresta. Before that was Finnick. And before _that_, I forgot _how_ many years because it's been so long, was Mags. She died of old age a while ago. In a nutshell, we needed more Victors."

"Thank you. One last time, let's have a round of applause for District Four's Jerr Schrodinger!"

I thanked him and was off the stage.

A limousine took us to the presidential palace. President Fuentes gave me his congratulations in front of many cameras. I got my very own crown- precisely why the Peacekeepers treated me like royalty.

With Finnick and Annie, I took a limousine to the train.

I was on my way home.


	20. Chapter 20: Homeward Bound

**Chapter Twenty: Homeward Bound**

_"a black silhouette despite the firelight."_

For the entire train ride I was asleep. It didn't do very well to hide the Games from me though. I had a nightmare. I was still in the Arena, the forest part, when lightning hit a tree and Freira was still alive. We ran and ran until another strike happened ahead of us. Freira was so close to the tree that she blew twenty feet up and fell into a forest fire that magically appeared behind us. Then it was everywhere. Spinning all around me in a swirling tornado, the fire ravaged on. I only stood there, a black silhouette despite the firelight. I woke up cold, blankets laying on the floor. There was never a forest fire. How could my subconscious make something so real?

The next morning at about five o'clock the train stopped. I didn't wake up until eight though- or so I have been told. The district was to be alerted of my presence whenever I agreed to get off the train.

They knew it would be about this time when I arrived, so some were already waiting for me to show myself. Finnick told me most of the district is supposed to be awake awaiting the signal. Looking out of a window, most of them were there. Some were inside the Justice Building, the main floor opened up to the public for the occasion.

I walked over to the end car, where Freira and I said our last goodbyes. As if on cue, everybody noticed me at once, flocking to get as close as possible. Some cameras flashed and others recorded. I went with it as I scanned the crowd's eyes, drastically changed since a week and a half ago. Instead of pride, sorrow, remorse, and regret; this time I saw only pride. Arms waved, whistles sounded, my named was yelled several times over in different voices. It was immense. So much so that I couldn't see the face or hear the voice of Hannah. Oh well. I walked a path that was sectioned off for me into the Justice Building. Still, there was no sign of her. The sectioned off path led me into the mayor's office. After personally congratulating me he gave me the house key and I was escorted in yet another limousine (windows tainted upon request) to the Victors' Village where I will live for the rest of my life in luxury.

The Victors' Village is a large cul-de-sac of twelve grand houses set aside for those who've won the Games. Currently only Finnick, Annie, and their adolescent kids live there. Only one of twelve houses is occupied. Before this year even District Twelve had more houses occupied than us (but an equal number of Victors).

Katniss Everdeen, the most recent Victor from Twelve, won the 74th annual Games. Even though her Games weren't in my lifetime and thus I didn't see it happen when it did, I still admire her. As Careers in training prior to the Games, we watch all of the previous Games on recordings.

I arrived at my new abode, the second one from the left, and unlocked the door with a key the mayor gave me. Upon walking in I was tackled to a vacant carpeted floor.

Quickly I turned to the top and raised a fist. It was her. It was Hannah. She made a noise that was between laughing and screaming.

"Why?" I stopped there.

"That's for everything you did to me in the Arena." She said, more laughs as the sentence went on.

"That's it? Just that?" I asked, playing along, wanting more.

"Well... No." Before I could question, she powered the back of her free hand into my cheek.

I fell on top of her dreading the moment when I will finally have to get up, no more extremes to worry about.

**Author's Note: It's not over yet, there's an epilogue!**


	21. Epilogue

Extremes- HGFF

**Epilogue**

Six months after the Games are finished the Capitol forces the Victor of the year into a Victory Tour. The Victor takes a train (provided so generously by District Six) through the districts. Starting from Twelve, the tour goes down the numbers until District One, skipping his or her home district and going back to it after the Capitol. At each district the Victor is expected to give a speech. Past Victors are allowed to attend the banquet held at the Capitol along with those of the highest class.

District Twelve welcomed me with open arms. When in other districts all I would have to talk about was words of advice, I was able to reflect well upon Elitza and promised to donate to their economy. It wasn't an act of anything but kindness. I never put on a face for any certain crowd.

The districts wound down; eventually, I got to the Capitol. The banquet was set in a room that would even combat the size of the room that Capitol scum saw me for the first time in since the Games ended. Many tables lined the edge of the place just as they did on the train when I was off to the Games. Whether it was sweets, side dishes, or the main course, it was impossible to even have a bite of everything. No more than five feet separated one drunken body from the next.

As for me, I sat in a corner booth with a rounded table taking notice of all my adoring fans.

A projection screen lowered on one end of the room. The lights dimmed. The room fell silent. Over some sort of intercom, a voice said, "At this time, please turn your attention to the north end of the room. Our Victor has prepared a special presentation for us tonight."

I made a compilation of everything I didn't say to Caesar that I regretted not saying over the six months. I made sure nobody knew of it, not even Hannah- which was difficult but doable. I heard this was to be broadcast throughout Panem, no television relief in sight just as the Games.

The projection screen lit to white and on came a film of different clips edited to tell a story. It began like this: "One of the questions I received over and over at the Victory Banquet before the interview was 'How did you do it?'. That was a very vague question. To put it the most simply, I just did. I just did it. I didn't question my actions. The Games are simple. Survive, that's it, and I just... did. So, how did I do it? I did what I had to do- what I felt was right. That goes for everything.

I made this video, unbeknownst to anyone's eyes, because I felt as though I was doing a disservice to Panem after winning. I felt I needed to let people know everything. Well, here it is.

'Why did you become a Career in the first place if you knew it meant a death sentence?'" (written on a card in my hand) "Did I not explain it to Elitza well enough for you to understand? To add on to it, I did it to be something more than 'that orphan' people saw sitting on the beach staring blankly to the sea in the direction that his parents died. I'm not a 'that' and I knew that it's impossible to know what you are unless you're placed in a tough situation. Actions define people. The choices they make in situations show who they are. It was my choice to make those choices.

Seeing Freira dead... I did an injustice when I told Caesar to keep going and not dwell on her. I spent too much time with her getting inspired by her passion to not give her a proper burial during interviewing. With her death, I nearly did the same. I mean, why not? She was all that kept me sane. I felt a bit selfish, too, not thinking of Hannah at the time like I should have. That didn't matter though, Finnick rescued me. Freira lived on through me and she always will.

Also, in accordance with Hunger Games tradition, I've selected my talent to be creative writing. You can expect a novel within a year. Thank you for taking your time to watch this. I'll see you, well, when I see you." With one last frame, the video showed what I expected to be the cover. It was composed of one third sandstorm tint, one third blizzard, and one third lush forest stacked atop each other in that order. From the neck up, my silhouette graced said cover. The word "Extremes" was on the top third, looking as if fire burned through the cover to spell it out.

"That was beautiful."

"Huh?" I refocused myself. Some time during the film, Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, appeared in the corner booth and sat next to me. I never saw her arrive; she was just there. Long brown hair that didn't end in a ponytail as I was so accustomed to seeing made its way down her back.

"The film, it was great." She clarified.

"Thanks, Miss Everdeen."

"Katniss. Just call me Katniss. We're on an even level. I'd even venture to say you're higher than me."

"Really? Girl from _Twelve_ survives a forest fire and severe burn, tracker jackers, mutts, and loss of partner in front of her eyes, along with being involved in the deaths of all four Careers of the time."

"Well, you, boy from Four survived going nearly completely numb, several blizzards, a thunderstorm, loss of partner in front of your eyes, and were involved in the deaths of all six Careers outside of your district." She assessed.

"Even Rellim?" I inquired.

"Well, indirectly. He went to the Pack made of One and Three because you were chasing him. Once he got into the blizzard, he bolted to the left and ran out of the area back to them. He ended up dead because he went there because you forced him to. I would count it your kill if I were you."

"I had five years of training though. You were just accurate with that bow of yours." She looked down at the table as if to hide something. I had too quickly gone into debate to ask an awaited question. "So, what brings you here?"

As straightforward as the spear that killed Sengor, she told me, "I always go to the Victor Tours when they deserve it."

"Thanks. I'd have done the same if I was, you know, alive." Katniss won five years before I was born.

"What didn't bring Hannah here?" She asked. Why hadn't I brought the one thing I never would want to live without?

I took a deep breath before answering. "There's a time and place for everything. I wanted to keep her away from the Games, kind of like how my parents shielded me from them. If it involves the Games, I want to be alone. I guess that goes for everything except mentoring. She's still back at the Village-"

Before I could answer she nearly did a spit take and proclaimed "You tied the knot!"

I laughed at the ability to say, "I have now officially tied every knot there is to tie in Panem, being from Four and all."

"How did it happen?"

"Do you want the whole story or just the abridged version?"

"All of it. Since you got back anyway."

"Get comfy then." We laughed at our role play.

"It was the second I stepped out of the confinement of the train that I wondered where she was. No sight of home would give me a sign of her. Head held high cheering with the masses, I walked through the crowd to the Justice Building,. The mayor gave me my new house keys and told me I'd find everything from the Academy already transported. When I got there in the limousine with tainted windows like I asked for, I opened the door and there she was tackling me to the ground. She was in the house the whole time.

A week went by of trying to hide my loneliness from her during the days when she visited. It always worked, but I couldn't sleep at night knowing I'm safe. I had never been safe before. I couldn't sleep without her there. I went to her father when she was busy with female problems. Asked him for permission to marry his only daughter when she's only eighteen. Given the circumstances, me being alive and having it necessary for my mental health, he had not a care- that and the idea that I would be the only candidate in history fit for it in his mind.

I took her out for a day doing random things and proposed that night. Do I even need to say her verdict?"

That was that. I continued, this time chatting with Katniss and not expecting her to listen, "Before you say anything, no it is not due any time soon."

She got a good kick out of it. "I wasn't expecting. I was hoping that neither is Hannah."

"Enough about me," I said, "have you been in a relationship since your victory? I remember you being... what was it? 'Star-crossed lovers' with Peeta?"

I made her blush in thinking about events from over two decades ago. "There definitely was a relationship there. It was done though. How you said Hannah would never be able to find another love should you die, we didn't have that. The sparks just weren't big enough for me to stay true to him after death."

"Sorry-" I managed to say before she answered in a snap.

"It's not that I couldn't find love after his death. I wasn't too tied to him, I just wasn't tied enough to anybody else."

"I see."

"So your talent is creative writing?" She changed the topic.

"Yes. I've always wanted people to know who I am. It's just that I don't like being the center of attention. The choice was perfect. Aren't you in the wedding dress business?"

This got a particularly long laugh out of her. She checked to see who paid attention to us before saying, "I'll let you in on a secret. None of the dresses were my ideas. My stylist, you know, the one who came up with the flames offered to design dresses and pass them off as mine."

"Really?"

"I had no talent. That was all in Peeta. Have you seen any of his cakes?"

"That's right, he was a part of a family bakery." I recalled such a vague thought from my knowing of Katniss.

"How is your novel coming along? You said it's within a year of finishing?"

"Oh, yes that's right." I said fumbling through my pockets. "I believe I brought an excerpt with me for all of the people who ask the question." Staying at a pocket inside of my overcoat, I updated, "Here it is." and gave her a folded slip of paper one would find in a printer.

After unfolding it, Katniss read it aloud slowing down as she progressed through.

"_Last night was especially long and restless. It was not because of strategy thinking, something I've been doing for as long as I can remember. It was because it was the night before my life would change forever; the night before I made a name for myself; the night before I volunteer as District Four Career Tribute in the 97__th__ annual Hunger Games. From the Fishing District, I am Jerr Schrode, and I will not be forgotten. I am headed to greatness. I will win."_

From there, Katniss knew I was headed somewhere.

** Author's Note: Well, that's the end. Sorry if Katniss seemed a bit OOC, (Out Of Character). After all, it **_**has**_** been twenty three years since she won. Who knows how much she's changed since then? Please read and review! No flames...**


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